Using signal detection theory to test the impact of negative emotion on sub-clinical paranoia.
A novel experimental paradigm for measuring state paranoia by means of signal detection theory was evaluated. A liberal response bias, indicating the tendency to recognize facial expressions as threatening, was expected to reflect paranoia. Against theoretical expectations, heightened paranoia questionnaire scores were associated with a non-liberal bias, which was not affected by negative emotion per se. However, subsequent analyses revealed that, if anxious, participants with heightened paranoia adopted a comparatively more liberal response bias. These findings corroborate the eminent role of anxiety in paranoia and demonstrate that state paranoia can be captured with the presented paradigm.
Westermann
Stefan
S
Section for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany. stefan.westermann@staff.uni-marburg.de
Lincoln
Tania M
TM
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015982:Bias; D057189:Checklist / Q000379:methods; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013360:Subliminal Stimulation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult