Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Hallucinogens and Psychedelics01:27

Hallucinogens and Psychedelics

886
Hallucinogens are psychoactive substances that profoundly alter perceptual experiences, generating unreal visual and sensory images. Often referred to as psychedelic drugs — a term derived from the Greek words "psyche" (mind) and "delos" (revealing) — these substances include marijuana and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), among others. These drugs vary in intensity and effects.
Marijuana, derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, contains...
886
CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents01:22

CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents

952
Hallucinogens, also known as psychedelic drugs, are a class of substances known for their ability to alter perception, cognition, and emotions. Despite their profound effects on the mind, these drugs are non-addictive, setting them apart from many other abused substances. The mechanism of action of these drugs lies in their impact on the 5-HT2A receptor in the brain. Upon activation, this receptor couples to Gq-type G proteins, triggering a cascade that releases intracellular calcium. This...
952
The Placebo Effect01:54

The Placebo Effect

7.0K
The placebo effect occurs when people's expectations or beliefs influence or determine their experience in a given situation. In other words, simply expecting something to happen can actually make it happen.
7.0K
Blind Procedures02:07

Blind Procedures

13.8K
Ideally, the people who observe and record the children’s behavior are unaware of who was assigned to the experimental or control group, in order to control for experimenter bias. Experimenter bias refers to the possibility that a researcher’s expectations might skew the results of the study. Remember, conducting an experiment requires a lot of planning, and the people involved in the research project have a vested interest in supporting their hypotheses. If the observers knew which...
13.8K
Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients01:15

Bioavailability Study Design: Healthy Subjects Versus Patients

201
Bioavailability studies are essential for evaluating a drug's therapeutic efficacy and understanding its absorption patterns under various physiological conditions. Conducting such studies on target patient populations provides more relevant data by simulating real-world disease states. However, practical challenges often necessitate the use of young, healthy adult volunteers as study subjects.Patients may exhibit altered drug absorption patterns due to the effects of the disease itself,...
201
Altered States of Awareness01:06

Altered States of Awareness

1.4K
Altered states of consciousness represent significant deviations from one's normal mental state. These deviations can range from subtle changes in awareness to profound transformations in perception, thought processes, and sensory experiences. Altered states of consciousness can be triggered by various factors, including drug use, meditation, hypnosis, illness, or even intense fatigue.
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...
1.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Study Protocol for "Exploring the safety and therapeutic potential of psilocybin in the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents and young adults".

PloS one·2026
Same author

Confronting mortality: A meta-analysis and systematic review of psychedelic experiences and death anxiety.

Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)·2026
Same author

Use of 4 Open-Ended Text Responses to Help Identify People at Risk of Gaming Disorder: Preregistered Development and Usability Study Using Natural Language Processing.

JMIR serious games·2024
Same author

Question-based computational language approach outperforms rating scales in quantifying emotional states.

Communications psychology·2024
Same author

Gender discrimination in Swedish family courts: A quantitative vignette study.

PloS one·2024
Same author

Helpful or Not? A Qualitative Study on Female Adolescents' Experience of TikTok When Recovering From Anorexia Nervosa.

The International journal of eating disorders·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
07:30

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

8.0K

Selection Bias in Psychedelic Research: Comparing Self-Reported Quality-Of-Life Impact Between Enthusiasts and a

Jonathan Bendz1, Linus Schäfer1, David Sjöström2

  • 1Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
|March 19, 2026
PubMed
Summary

Psychedelic research may overstate benefits due to sampling bias. Enthusiasts report greater quality-of-life impact than the general population, even after controlling for other factors, highlighting the need for diverse participant recruitment.

Keywords:
Psychedelic experiencespsychedelic researchpsychedelic usersquality of lifeselection bias

More Related Videos

How to Study Placebo Responses in Motion Sickness with a Rotation Chair Paradigm in Healthy Participants
08:50

How to Study Placebo Responses in Motion Sickness with a Rotation Chair Paradigm in Healthy Participants

Published on: December 14, 2014

9.7K
Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
05:33

Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature

Published on: June 19, 2019

9.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 20, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
07:30

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study

Published on: August 18, 2020

8.0K
How to Study Placebo Responses in Motion Sickness with a Rotation Chair Paradigm in Healthy Participants
08:50

How to Study Placebo Responses in Motion Sickness with a Rotation Chair Paradigm in Healthy Participants

Published on: December 14, 2014

9.7K
Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature
05:33

Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature

Published on: June 19, 2019

9.1K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Psychedelic experiences are linked to improved quality of life.
  • Previous studies often use convenience samples of psychedelic enthusiasts.
  • This reliance on enthusiast samples raises concerns about selection bias and generalizability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare self-reported quality-of-life impact between psychedelic enthusiasts and a general population sample.
  • To determine if sample differences persist after controlling for mindset, setting, motivation, and personality traits.
  • To clarify the influence of recruitment strategies on reported psychedelic outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Survey of 1,182 participants with prior psychedelic experience (583 enthusiasts, 599 general sample).
  • Assessment of perceived quality-of-life impact, contextual factors, motivation, and Big Five personality traits.
  • Statistical analyses included Welch's t-tests, chi-squared tests, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests, and ANCOVA.

Main Results:

  • Enthusiasts reported significantly greater quality-of-life impact (d=0.84) compared to the general sample.
  • Enthusiasts exhibited higher openness, extraversion, agreeableness, more favorable mindsets/settings, and stronger personal growth motives.
  • Sample membership was the strongest predictor of quality-of-life impact in ANCOVA, followed by setting, motivation, openness, and mindset.

Conclusions:

  • Enthusiast-biased recruitment can significantly shape reported outcomes in psychedelic research.
  • Sampling frames are crucial for interpreting reported psychedelic benefits.
  • Future psychedelic research should prioritize representative participant recruitment to enhance generalizability.