Paranormal Belief and Biases in Reasoning Underlying the Formation of Delusions (original) (raw)
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Paranormal beliefs and cognitive processes underlying the formation of delusions
Recent research suggests that paranormal beliefs and delusional beliefs may have similar cognitive foundations. In order to explore this link further a survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between paranormal beliefs and cognitive dysfunctions known to be associated with the development of clinically defined delusions. A convenience sample of 207 people completed an online inventory of questionnaires measuring paranormal beliefs, inferential confusion, confirmation bias, and metacognitive beliefs. Both dimensions of paranormal belief surveyed here were found to be predicted by these cognitive factors. The construction of paranormal beliefs as delusions is critically discussed.
Reasoning in Believers in the Paranormal
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 2004
Reasoning biases have been identified in deluded patients, delusion-prone individuals, and believers in the paranormal. This study examined content-specific reasoning and delusional ideation in believers in the paranormal. A total of 174 members of the Society for Psychical Research completed a delusional ideation questionnaire and a deductive reasoning task. The reasoning statements were manipulated for congruency with paranormal beliefs. As predicted, individuals who reported a strong belief in the paranormal made more errors and displayed more delusional ideation than skeptical individuals. However, no differences were found with statements that were congruent with their belief system, confirming the domain-specificity of reasoning. This reasoning bias was limited to people who reported a belief in, rather than experience of, paranormal phenomena. These results suggest that reasoning abnormalities may have a causal role in the formation of unusual beliefs. The dissociation between experiences and beliefs implies that such abnormalities operate at the evaluative, rather than the perceptual, stage of processing.
How psychotic-like are paranormal beliefs?
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2012
Background and objectives: Paranormal beliefs and Psychotic-like Experiences (PLE) are phenotypically similar and can occur in individuals with psychosis but also in the general population; however the relationship of these experiences for psychosis risk is largely unclear. This study investigates the association of PLE and paranormal beliefs with psychological distress. Methods: Five hundred and three young adults completed measures of paranormal beliefs (Beliefs in the Paranormal Scale), psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire), delusion (Peters et al. Delusions Inventory), and hallucination (Launay-Slade Hallucination Scale) proneness. Results: The frequency and intensity of PLE was higher in believers in the paranormal compared to nonbelievers, however psychological distress levels were comparable. Regression findings confirmed that paranormal beliefs were predicted by delusion and hallucination-proneness but not psychological distress. Limitations: The use of a cross-sectional design in a specific young adult population makes the findings exploratory and in need of replication with longitudinal studies. Conclusions: The predictive value of paranormal beliefs and experiences for psychosis may be limited; appraisal or the belief emotional salience rather than the belief per se may be more relevant risk factors to predict psychotic risk.
2019
We sought an answer to the question, Are paranormal claimants more likely or less likely to manifest psychopathology than those who make no such claims? Reviews of previous research, and a re-analysis of old data, indicate there is no burgeoning need to pathologize paranormal believers, even if measures suggest a tendency for characteristic symptoms. While psychopathology (probably prodromal) may still be suggested under specific circumstances, the blunt term ‘psychosis’ may be misapplied in cases where a non-clinical condition known as ‘spiritual emergency’ is evident. Likewise, schizotypy in some paranormal believers may be a condition needing attention, but the so-called ‘happy schizotype’ seems somewhat of an exception. Study designs are proposed that might help better understand the happy schizotype and spiritual emergency.Michael A. Thalbourne and Lance Stor
Psychopathological symptoms and their relation to paranormal belief and illusory judgment
2006
The relationship between psychopathological symptoms and paranormal belief and abilities was explored in four studies. Study 1 investigated the relationship between depressive symptoms and paranormal belief. Study 2 shifted the investigation into the laboratory by testing participants' illusory judgments on a paranormal task and assessing the relationship between their judgments and depressive symptoms. Study 3 combined scale and lab tasks testing for additional psychopathological symptoms and illusory judgment on four paranormal tasks. Study 4 incorporated techniques to increase illusion of control induction and minimize context effects and fatigue. Psychosis proneness and mood symptoms were positively related to general paranormal belief consistently across three paranormal belief scales and illusory judgment on three paranormal tasks. The results are consistent with a body of literature that suggests atypical thinking as a commonality among people reporting psychopathology sy...
The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research
Despite a burgeoning literature on the psychological correlates of belief in the paranormal, little research has been devoted to the investigation of paranormal scepticism. This study sought to relate the formation of a paranormal disbelief to habitual thinking styles. An online survey was undertaken by 94 Australian university students. Questionnaire measures replicated known associations between the intensity of previously established paranormal beliefs and an experiential-intuitive mode of thinking but not a rational-analytical mode. Under a procedure for evoking a paranormal belief or disbelief in real time, however, participants who formed a paranormal disbelief were found to exhibit a preference for a rational-analytical mode of thinking. Recommendations are made for the further investigation of the nature of paranormal disbelief.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1983
A 25-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess belief in the paranormal was constructed based on the results from factor analysis of a 61-item pool administered to 391 college students. Factor analysis revealed seven independent dimensions comprising belief in the paranormal. These factors were Traditional Religious Belief, Psi Belief, Witchcraft, Superstition, Spiritualism, Extraordinary Life Forms, and Precognition. The Paranormal Scale was constructed by selecting either three or four marker items to represent each of the seven dimensions as paranormal subscales. Descriptive statistics for this Paranormal Scale and the seven subscales are presented, as well as reliability statistics. Studies were presented that support the validity of this Paranormal Scale and subscales with such personality/adjustment constructs as internal-external locus of control, sensation seeking, death threat, actual self-ideal self-concept, uncritical inferences, dogmatism, and irrational beliefs. It was concluded that this scale offers promise as an assessment instrument for paranormal belief.
A study of paranormal belief, magical ideation as an index of schizotypy and cognitive style
Personality and Individual Differences, 1991
This study examined the proposal that the association between paranormal belief and magical ideation may be mediated by distinctive cognitive styles for schizotypes as compared to believers in the paranormal. Schizotypes were found to differ from an atypical group of believers in the paranormal and to resemble schizophrenics in terms of cognitive style. Believers expressed a cognitive style reliant on notions of personal responsibility while schizotypes emphasised the role of randomness. Believers differed from schizotypes on more deviant aspects of schizotypy measures yet unexpectedly these groups did not differ on specific facets of paranormal belief. It is tentatively proposed that for some people certain paranormal beliefs represent a cognitive ‘defence’ against acceptance of the uncertainty of life events, while for others paranormal belief may be indicative of psychopathology.
Thinking style and the making of a paranormal disbelief
Despite a burgeoning literature on the psychological correlates of belief in the paranormal, little research has been devoted to the investigation of paranormal scepticism. This study sought to relate the formation of a paranormal disbelief to habitual thinking styles. An online survey was undertaken by 94 Australian university students. Questionnaire measures replicated known associations between the intensity of previously established paranormal beliefs and an experiential–intuitive mode of thinking but not a rational–analytical mode. Under a procedure for evoking a paranormal belief or disbelief in real time, however, participants who formed a paranormal disbelief were found to exhibit a preference for a rational–analytical mode of thinking. Recommendations are made for the further investigation of the nature of paranormal disbelief.
Belief in conspiracy theories. The role of paranormal belief, paranoid ideation and schizotypy
Personality and Individual Differences, 2011
Surveys indicate that belief in conspiracy theories is widespread. Previous studies have indicated that such beliefs are related to agreeableness, low levels of self esteem, certain negative attitudes towards authority, and paranoia. The current study investigated the relationship between conspiracy theory beliefs, paranormal belief, paranoid ideation, and schizotypy, in a study involving 60 females and 60 males aged 18-50. Sex differences were found in paranormal belief, with females scoring significantly higher than males in spiritualism, precognition, psi, and overall paranormal belief. Partial correlations controlling for sex showed that conspiracy beliefs were significantly and positively correlated with paranormal beliefs, paranoid ideation and schizotypy. Confirmatory analysis revealed a best fit model to explain conspiracy beliefs that included schizotypy and paranoid ideation, but not paranormal beliefs. These findings suggest that paranoid ideation and schizotypy are strongly associated with belief in conspiracy theories.