title: The psychology of persecutory ideation I: a questionnaire survey.
abstract: Paranoia is a complex phenomenon that is likely to arise from a number of factors. In a recent cognitive model of persecutory delusions, three key factors are highlighted: anomalous experiences, emotion, and reasoning. In the first of two linked studies, we report a questionnaire survey of nonclinical paranoia designed to assess the theoretical model. A nonclinical population (N = 327) completed measures of paranoia, anomalous experiences (hallucinatory predisposition, perceptual anomalies), emotion (depression, anxiety, self-focus, stress, interpersonal sensitivity), and reasoning (need for closure). Paranoia was best explained by separation anxiety, depression, fragile inner self, hallucinatory experiences, discomfort with ambiguity, stress, self-focus, perceptual anomalies, and anxiety. The findings are consistent with the central predictions within the model of paranoia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freeman
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.forename: Philippa A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Garety
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bebbington
authors.forename: Mel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ray
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003702:Delusions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires