Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study.
BACKGROUND: Paranoia is a common experience in the non-clinical population. We use a novel experimental methodology to investigate paranoid ideas in individuals without a history of mental illness. AIMS: We aimed to determine whether this paradigm could elicit unfounded paranoid thoughts and whethe...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2011
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| _version_ | 1797084720018751488 |
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| author | Green, C Freeman, D Kuipers, E Bebbington, P Fowler, D Dunn, G Garety, P |
| author_facet | Green, C Freeman, D Kuipers, E Bebbington, P Fowler, D Dunn, G Garety, P |
| author_sort | Green, C |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | BACKGROUND: Paranoia is a common experience in the non-clinical population. We use a novel experimental methodology to investigate paranoid ideas in individuals without a history of mental illness. AIMS: We aimed to determine whether this paradigm could elicit unfounded paranoid thoughts and whether these thoughts could be predicted by factors from a cognitive model. METHOD: Fifty-eight individuals took part and completed measures assessing trait paranoia, mood, self and other schema and attributional style. They were exposed to two experimental events: 1) an interruption to the testing session by a stooge, and 2) a recording of laughter played outside the testing room and subsequently asked about their explanations for these events. RESULTS: 15.5% (n = 9) of the sample gave a paranoid explanation for at least one of the experimental events. The remainder reported generally neutral explanations. Individuals with a paranoid explanation reported significantly higher levels of trait paranoia. Factors predictive of a paranoid interpretation were interpersonal sensitivity and attributional style. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that spontaneous paranoid explanations can be elicited in non-clinical individuals, even for quite neutral events. In line with current theories, the findings suggest that emotional processes contribute to paranoid interpretations of events, although, as a novel study with a modest sample, it requires replication. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T01:58:56Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:9cb07e2b-f250-4709-a302-40f6d9f9ea30 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T01:58:56Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:9cb07e2b-f250-4709-a302-40f6d9f9ea302022-03-27T00:37:44ZParanoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:9cb07e2b-f250-4709-a302-40f6d9f9ea30EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Green, CFreeman, DKuipers, EBebbington, PFowler, DDunn, GGarety, P BACKGROUND: Paranoia is a common experience in the non-clinical population. We use a novel experimental methodology to investigate paranoid ideas in individuals without a history of mental illness. AIMS: We aimed to determine whether this paradigm could elicit unfounded paranoid thoughts and whether these thoughts could be predicted by factors from a cognitive model. METHOD: Fifty-eight individuals took part and completed measures assessing trait paranoia, mood, self and other schema and attributional style. They were exposed to two experimental events: 1) an interruption to the testing session by a stooge, and 2) a recording of laughter played outside the testing room and subsequently asked about their explanations for these events. RESULTS: 15.5% (n = 9) of the sample gave a paranoid explanation for at least one of the experimental events. The remainder reported generally neutral explanations. Individuals with a paranoid explanation reported significantly higher levels of trait paranoia. Factors predictive of a paranoid interpretation were interpersonal sensitivity and attributional style. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that spontaneous paranoid explanations can be elicited in non-clinical individuals, even for quite neutral events. In line with current theories, the findings suggest that emotional processes contribute to paranoid interpretations of events, although, as a novel study with a modest sample, it requires replication. |
| spellingShingle | Green, C Freeman, D Kuipers, E Bebbington, P Fowler, D Dunn, G Garety, P Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study. |
| title | Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study. |
| title_full | Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study. |
| title_fullStr | Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study. |
| title_short | Paranoid explanations of experience: a novel experimental study. |
| title_sort | paranoid explanations of experience a novel experimental study |
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