The prediction of hallucinatory predisposition in non-clinical individuals: examining the contribution of emotion and reasoning.
BACKGROUND
Emotion, especially anxiety, has been implicated in triggering hallucinations. Reasoning processes are also likely to influence the judgments that lead to hallucinatory experiences. We report an investigation of the prediction of hallucinatory predisposition by emotion and associated processes (anxiety, depression, stress, self-focused attention) and reasoning (need for closure, extreme responding).


METHODS
Data were analysed from a questionnaire survey in a student population (N = 327).


RESULTS
Higher levels of anxiety, self-focus, and extreme responding were associated with hallucinatory predisposition. Interactions between these three variables did not strengthen the predictive effect of each. Depression, stress, and need for closure were not found to be predictors of hallucinatory experience in the regression analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Emotional and reasoning processes may both need to be considered in the understanding of hallucinatory experience.
Allen
Paul
P
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK. p.allen@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Freeman
Daniel
D
McGuire
Philip
P
Garety
Philippa
P
Kuipers
Elizabeth
E
Fowler
David
D
Bebbington
Paul
P
Green
Catherine
C
Dunn
Graham
G
Ray
Katarzyna
K
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001288:Attention; D015984:Causality; D003657:Decision Making; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires