Dimensions of Delusions and Attribution Biases along the Continuum of Psychosis

So, Suzanne Ho‐wai; Tang, Venus; Leung, Patrick W. L.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144558

Cited by 38 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…Some studies find increased helplessness (a bias to externalise both positive and negative events) in psychotic patients (Lincoln et al, 2010). An external attribution bias for positive events (but not for negative ones) is related to the severity of delusional beliefs, which is partially in line with these previous studies (Achim et al, 2016;So et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Attributional Styles and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia. Is the Learned Helplessness Model Suitable?

Monfort-Escrig

Pena-Garijo

2021

Clínica Y Salud

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Attributions and related biases are particularly relevant to the development and maintenance of positive symptoms in psychosis (Howes & Murray, 2014) and depressive symptoms in mood and psychotic disorders (Davidson et al., 2018). Some studies in psychosis show that the attributional style is probably a separate construct of social cognition since it minimally correlates with other domains (Buck et al., 2016). Bentall et al. (2001) differentiate two biases: a general tendency to make non-self-attributions, including people and circumstances, for positive events ("externalising bias") and a specific tendency to blame others for negative events ("personalising bias"). Individuals who usually tend to explain disturbing events in terms of external (non-self) causes may be particularly prone to develop delusional beliefs about such experiences (Langdon et al., 2013). On the other hand, several studies observed a higher tendency to attribute positive events (but not negative) to oneself (So et al., 2015), but other studies did not (Achim et al., 2016). Moreover, persecutory delusions caused by an externalising attributional bias maintain self-esteem preserved in persons with delusions (Murphy et al., 2018). By contrast, later research from the "defence model" of persecutory delusions predicts that people with this kind of delusions have lower selfesteem than people with depression and a greater externalising Clínica y Salud (2020) xx(x) xx-xx

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Attributional Styles and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia. Is the Learned Helplessness Model Suitable?

Monfort-Escrig

Pena-Garijo

2021

Clínica Y Salud

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“…These studies differentiated specific cognitive biases, i.e. attributional bias (2)(3)(4), attention to threat bias (5,6), threat anticipation (7), and jumping to conclusions (8,9) which are involved in the psychotic symptoms development. Importantly, the role of cognitive biases was confirmed not only in clinical groups, but also outside the boundaries of clinical psychosis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mediating Role of Stress in the Relationship Between Attention to Threat Bias and Psychotic-Like Experiences Depends on Coping Strategies

2020

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Aim: Recent studies have provided evidence that enhanced stress level is associated with the increase of psychotic symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical populations. It has also been demonstrated that cognitive biases contribute to psychotic experiences. However, it remains unclear whether the effect of cognitive biases and perceived stress on psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) is influenced by coping methods. In the present study we examined whether the relationship linking cognitive biases with PLEs is mediated by the level of stress and whether particular coping methods modify the relationship between stress and PLEs. Methods:The study sample consisted of 290 non-clinical subjects; study variables were assessed by questionnaires. Moderated mediation analyses were conducted.Results: Perceived stress was found to serve as a partial mediator in the relationship linking attention to threat (ATB) and external attribution biases (ETB) with psychotic-like experiences. Also, moderated mediation analysis revealed that the indirect effect of attention to threat bias on positive and depressive symptoms of psychotic-like experiences via perceived stress was stronger at higher levels of distraction seeking coping. Moreover, the indirect effect of ATB on depressive symptoms was moderated by task-oriented coping and emotion-oriented coping. Task-oriented coping also moderated the indirect effect of ETB on depression. Conclusion:The findings imply that both perceived stress and coping styles are important factors affecting the association between cognitive biases and psychotic-like experiences.

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“…In addition, rumination preceded increases in persecutory delusions in an experience sampling study (Hartley, Haddock, Vasconcelos e Sa, Emsley, & Barrowclough, ) and a rumination induction increased paranoia in an experimental study (Martinelli, Cavanagh, & Dudley, ). There is also evidence showing that blaming others for negative events is associated with paranoid delusions (An et al ., ; Janssen et al ., ; Kinderman & Bentall, ; Martin & Penn, ; McKay, Langdon, & Coltheart, ; So, Tang, & Leung, ). Taken together, these studies support the assumption that both hyperactivating and deactivating strategies are associated with paranoia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathways from insecure attachment dimensions to paranoia: The mediating role of hyperactivating emotion regulation versus blaming others

et al. 2019

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Objectives There is evidence of associations between insecure attachment and paranoia, but we do not yet fully understand the mediating mechanisms. Attachment theory emphasizes differential relatedness of insecure attachment dimensions (i.e., anxiety vs. avoidance) with specific emotion regulation styles (ER). We tested whether the associations between attachment anxiety versus avoidance and paranoia were mediated specifically by hyperactivating (i.e., the use of emotion‐amplifying strategies: self‐blame, rumination, catastrophization) versus blaming others ER, respectively. In addition, we explored whether self‐blame versus blaming others ER differentially mediated the associations between attachment anxiety versus avoidance and paranoia. Method We included 60 patients with psychosis and 40 healthy controls (HCs) with whom we conducted standardized diagnostic interviews. We assessed paranoia, attachment, and ER via questionnaires. A structural equation mediation model including attachment anxiety and avoidance (predictor), the ER styles (mediators), and paranoia (outcome) was calculated. Results Compared with HCs, patients exhibited significantly more attachment anxiety and avoidance, and used more hyperactivating ER as well as strategies of blaming others. We found a significant indirect effect between attachment anxiety and paranoia via hyperactivating ER in patients with psychosis. However, no significant indirect effects involving blaming others or self‐blame in any of the groups were found. Conclusions Our study provides a starting point for further investigation of how paranoid delusions in psychosis could emerge from insecure attachment via ER. This might inspire further research into attachment theories of ER in paranoia. In the long term, this could provide a basis to develop interpersonally oriented interventions for this target group. Practitioner points In individuals with psychosis, there appears to be an attachment‐specific emotion regulation (ER) pathway from attachment anxiety via hyperactivating ER to paranoia. Blaming others did not explain the significant association between attachment avoidance and paranoia. Attachment‐specific therapeutic approaches to paranoia, that focus on hyperactivating ER, could be a valid way to ameliorate paranoid delusions.

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Dimensions of Delusions and Attribution Biases along the Continuum of Psychosis

Cited by 38 publications

References 37 publications

Attributional Styles and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia. Is the Learned Helplessness Model Suitable?

Attributional Styles and Social Functioning in Schizophrenia. Is the Learned Helplessness Model Suitable?

The Mediating Role of Stress in the Relationship Between Attention to Threat Bias and Psychotic-Like Experiences Depends on Coping Strategies

Pathways from insecure attachment dimensions to paranoia: The mediating role of hyperactivating emotion regulation versus blaming others

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