Depression, self-esteem, and the absence of self-protective attributional biases.

Cognitive interpretations of daily events may differ in people from the general population who hold unusual beliefs. It is also important to understand whether different belief profiles exist to appreciate which patterns of beliefs are less psychologically healthy. Cluster analysis was used to form unusual belief profiles in a general population sample (n = 578; Mage = 22 years, SD = 6.98; 80% female) across paranoid, paranormal, and magical ideation beliefs, and we assessed whether they differed in attribution style and metacognitive beliefs about worry. Four clusters were formed: low on all measures (low all); high on all measures (high all); comparably higher on paranormal beliefs (paranormal group); and comparably higher on paranoid beliefs (paranoid group). For total Metacognitions Questionnaire‐30, the high all and high paranoid clusters did not differ, and both clusters scored higher than the high paranormal group, who all scored higher than the low all cluster. For attributional styles (Attributional Styles Questionnaire), lower scores on internal positive attribution were found for the high all and high paranoid clusters compared to the low all and high paranormal clusters. The high paranormal cluster had higher scores than the high paranoid cluster on self‐serving bias. Differences in attributional style appeared to be driven by mental health diagnosis. Our results suggest different profiles of unusual beliefs are detectable in the general population that differ in their metacognitive beliefs and perceived causation of events in their environment. Future studies investigating delusional proneness need to consider multiple unusual beliefs as well as assessing mood state and distress.

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The profile of unusual beliefs associated with metacognitive thinking and attributional styles

Coleman

Croft

Barkus

2022

PsyCh Journal

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Negative cognitive errors and positive illusions for negative divorce events: Predictors of children's psychological adjustment

Mazur

Wolchik

Sandler

1992

J Abnorm Child Psychol

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This study examined the relations among negative cognitive errors regarding hypothetical negative divorce events, positive illusions about those same events, actual divorce events, and psychological adjustment in 38 8- to 12-year-old children whose parents had divorced within the previous 2 years. Children's scores on a scale of negative cognitive errors (catastrophizing, overgeneralizing, and personalizing) correlated significantly with self-reported symptoms of anxiety and self-esteem, and with maternal reports of behavior problems. Children's scores on a scale measuring positive illusions (high self-regard, illusion of personal control, and optimism for the future) correlated significantly with less self-reported aggression. Both appraisal types accounted for variance in some measures of symptomatology beyond that explained by actual events. There was no significant association between children's negative cognitive errors and positive illusions. The implications of these results for theories of negative cognitive errors and of positive illusions, as well as for future research, are discussed.

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Relational Victimization, Characterological Self-Blame, and Adjustment in Young Children

Blakely‐McClure

Ostrov

2023

Child Psychiatry Hum Dev

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Depression, self-esteem, and the absence of self-protective attributional biases.

Cited by 72 publications

References 51 publications

The profile of unusual beliefs associated with metacognitive thinking and attributional styles

The profile of unusual beliefs associated with metacognitive thinking and attributional styles

Negative cognitive errors and positive illusions for negative divorce events: Predictors of children's psychological adjustment

Relational Victimization, Characterological Self-Blame, and Adjustment in Young Children

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