"Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception
Two different modes of theorising about delusions are explored. On the one hand is the motivational approach, which regards delusions as serving a defensive, palliative, even potentially adaptive function. On the other, is the cognitive deficit approach, which conceptualises delusions as explicitly...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
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Psychology Press Ltd.
2005
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| Subjects: |
| _version_ | 1797061477873483776 |
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| author | McKay, R Langdon, R Coltheart, M |
| author_facet | McKay, R Langdon, R Coltheart, M |
| author_sort | McKay, R |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Two different modes of theorising about delusions are explored. On the one hand is the motivational approach, which regards delusions as serving a defensive, palliative, even potentially adaptive function. On the other, is the cognitive deficit approach, which conceptualises delusions as explicitly pathological, involving abnormalities in ordinary cognitive processes. The former approach, prominently exemplified by the psychoanalytic tradition, was predominant historically, but has been challenged in recent years by the latter. Some grievances against psychoanalytic theory are briefly discussed, and it is argued that although the reasons for psychoanalysis falling into scientific disrepute are partly justified, the psychodynamic notion that motivation has access to the mechanisms of belief formation is of potentially crucial theoretical utility. A variety of possible syntheses of the two theoretical modes are therefore explored, in the belief that the most comprehensive account of delusions will involved a theoretical unification of both styles of explanation. Along the way, an attempt is made to locate the notions <em>delusion</em>, <em>defence</em>, and <em>self-deception</em> in a shared theoretical space. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:31:44Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:31477189-0012-4d3b-bf50-fb2183f54b16 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T20:31:44Z |
| publishDate | 2005 |
| publisher | Psychology Press Ltd. |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:31477189-0012-4d3b-bf50-fb2183f54b162022-03-26T13:06:53Z"Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deceptionJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:31477189-0012-4d3b-bf50-fb2183f54b16PsychiatryEnglishOxford University Research Archive - ValetPsychology Press Ltd.2005McKay, RLangdon, RColtheart, MTwo different modes of theorising about delusions are explored. On the one hand is the motivational approach, which regards delusions as serving a defensive, palliative, even potentially adaptive function. On the other, is the cognitive deficit approach, which conceptualises delusions as explicitly pathological, involving abnormalities in ordinary cognitive processes. The former approach, prominently exemplified by the psychoanalytic tradition, was predominant historically, but has been challenged in recent years by the latter. Some grievances against psychoanalytic theory are briefly discussed, and it is argued that although the reasons for psychoanalysis falling into scientific disrepute are partly justified, the psychodynamic notion that motivation has access to the mechanisms of belief formation is of potentially crucial theoretical utility. A variety of possible syntheses of the two theoretical modes are therefore explored, in the belief that the most comprehensive account of delusions will involved a theoretical unification of both styles of explanation. Along the way, an attempt is made to locate the notions <em>delusion</em>, <em>defence</em>, and <em>self-deception</em> in a shared theoretical space. |
| spellingShingle | Psychiatry McKay, R Langdon, R Coltheart, M "Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception |
| title | "Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception |
| title_full | "Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception |
| title_fullStr | "Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception |
| title_full_unstemmed | "Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception |
| title_short | "Sleights of mind": delusions, defences, and self-deception |
| title_sort | sleights of mind delusions defences and self deception |
| topic | Psychiatry |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mckayr sleightsofminddelusionsdefencesandselfdeception AT langdonr sleightsofminddelusionsdefencesandselfdeception AT coltheartm sleightsofminddelusionsdefencesandselfdeception |