title: Ethnic identity and paranoid thinking: Implicit out-group preference and language dominance predict paranoia in Emirati women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychotic experiences including persecutory beliefs are elevated among immigrant and minority populations, especially when living in low ethnic density neighbourhoods (the ethnic density effect). Discrimination, victimization and experiencing a sense of 'not belonging' are hypothesized to play a role in this effect. Because a secure ethnic identity protects against poor self-esteem it may also protect against paranoia. This study explores the relationship between language proficiency (Arabic/English), in-group identity (implicit and explicit) and paranoia in female Emirati university students.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Emirati college women (N = 208), reported English/Arabic language proficiencies, and performed a computerized affective priming task engineered to implicitly assess in-group (Emirati) versus out-group (American) positivity. Participants also completed self-report measures of in-group identity (MIIS), and paranoia (PaDs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Arabic proficiency was negatively correlated with paranoia, as was implicit in-group positivity. Furthermore, participants reporting English language dominance, and those demonstrating an implicit out-group preference, reported the highest levels of paranoia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study is limited by its use of an all female sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implicit in-group attitudes and linguistic competence protect against paranoia and may help to explain the ethnic density effect.
authors.affiliation: Zayed University, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: Justin.thomas@zu.ac.ae.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Bentall
authors.affiliation: University of Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Lowri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hadden
authors.affiliation: Emirates College for Advanced Education, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Hara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D010259:Paranoid Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D012933:Social Identification; D014479:United Arab Emirates; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acculturation; Arab; Identity; In-group evaluation; Paranoia; Priming