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Persecutory delusions and the self: an investigation of implicit and explicit self-esteem

Persecutory delusions and the self: an investigation of implicit and explicit self-esteem
Persecutory delusions and the self: an investigation of implicit and explicit self-esteem
Persecutory delusions are proposed to be a defence against low self-esteem reaching conscious awareness (Bentall, Corcoran, Howard, Blackwood, & Kinderman, 2001). Key predictions of this proposal are that individuals with persecutory delusions will have lower implicit self-esteem and equivalent levels of explicit self-esteem compared to healthy controls. This study aims to test the predictions regarding implicit and explicit self-esteem in people with persecutory delusions. Of 22 people screened for persecutory delusions, 16 were recruited to the study. The Implicit Association Test was used to measure implicit self-esteem and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to assess explicit self-esteem. Positive and negative self and other schemas were also assessed using the Brief Core Schema Scales. People with persecutory delusions had positive implicit self-esteem, comparable to that of the control group. Explicit self-esteem was lower for the persecutory delusion group, but was associated with increased depression and anxiety. Negative self and other schemas were higher in the clinical group. The results do not support the contention that persecutory delusions defend against negative self-representations and low self-esteem reaching conscious awareness. Non-defensive cognitive models are discussed as an alternative way of understanding persecutory delusions.
persecutory delusions, paranoia, self-esteem, implicit association test
0005-7916
54-64
MacKinnon, Katharine
338745f7-35f0-4a2b-a67f-cc8bdc7b578e
Newman-Taylor, Katherine
e090b9da-6ede-45d5-8a56-2e86c2dafef7
Stopa, Luisa
b52f29fc-d1c2-450d-b321-68f95fa22c40
MacKinnon, Katharine
338745f7-35f0-4a2b-a67f-cc8bdc7b578e
Newman-Taylor, Katherine
e090b9da-6ede-45d5-8a56-2e86c2dafef7
Stopa, Luisa
b52f29fc-d1c2-450d-b321-68f95fa22c40

MacKinnon, Katharine, Newman-Taylor, Katherine and Stopa, Luisa (2011) Persecutory delusions and the self: an investigation of implicit and explicit self-esteem. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 42 (1), 54-64. (doi:10.1016/j.jbtep.2010.05.003). (PMID:20663490)

Record type: Article

Abstract

Persecutory delusions are proposed to be a defence against low self-esteem reaching conscious awareness (Bentall, Corcoran, Howard, Blackwood, & Kinderman, 2001). Key predictions of this proposal are that individuals with persecutory delusions will have lower implicit self-esteem and equivalent levels of explicit self-esteem compared to healthy controls. This study aims to test the predictions regarding implicit and explicit self-esteem in people with persecutory delusions. Of 22 people screened for persecutory delusions, 16 were recruited to the study. The Implicit Association Test was used to measure implicit self-esteem and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to assess explicit self-esteem. Positive and negative self and other schemas were also assessed using the Brief Core Schema Scales. People with persecutory delusions had positive implicit self-esteem, comparable to that of the control group. Explicit self-esteem was lower for the persecutory delusion group, but was associated with increased depression and anxiety. Negative self and other schemas were higher in the clinical group. The results do not support the contention that persecutory delusions defend against negative self-representations and low self-esteem reaching conscious awareness. Non-defensive cognitive models are discussed as an alternative way of understanding persecutory delusions.

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Accepted/In Press date: 31 May 2010
Published date: March 2011
Keywords: persecutory delusions, paranoia, self-esteem, implicit association test
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences, Psychology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 153309
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/153309
ISSN: 0005-7916
PURE UUID: b3a1047c-e2ef-4151-8567-fc0d4d59a60e
ORCID for Katherine Newman-Taylor: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1579-7959

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Date deposited: 19 May 2010 10:40
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 03:16

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Contributors

Author: Katharine MacKinnon
Author: Luisa Stopa

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