Hasty decision-making in a variety of tasks: does it contribute to the development of delusions?
OBJECTIVE
The finding that persons with delusions tend to jump-to-conclusions ( JTC) in the beads task has often been replicated. This study investigates whether hasty decision-making in the beads task is associated with hasty decisions in tasks with more relevance for everyday decision-making. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that hasty decisions in these tasks will be associated with subclinical delusional beliefs.


METHODS
A correlational study.


METHODS
A sample of students (N=85) completed the beads task and three additional non-probabilistic decision-tasks. Subclinical delusional beliefs were assessed using the Peters et al. delusions inventory (PDI; Peters, Joseph, & Garety, 1999).


RESULTS
In support of the hypothesis, participants with hasty decisions in the beads task also made hasty decisions in two of the other tasks. Hasty decisions were only associated with higher subclinical delusional beliefs in one of the tasks (a letter recognition task).


CONCLUSIONS
Decision-making in the beads task can be generalized to decisions in other contexts. Other decision-making tasks may be more closely related to delusions than the beads task.
Ziegler
Michael
M
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany. michael.ziegler@staff.uni-marburg.de
Rief
Winfried
W
Werner
Sarah-M
SM
Mehl
Stephanie
S
Lincoln
Tania M
TM
D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D003702:Delusions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011337:Probability Learning; D011340:Problem Solving; D012660:Semantics; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception