Belief formation in deluded and non-deluded people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Belief formation in deluded and non-deluded people
IRAS ID
325034
Contact name
(1) Daisy (2) Jessica (1) Fitzpatrick (2) Twigg
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Of Sheffield
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 31 days
Research summary
Delusional (pathological) beliefs are a common symptom of psychosis, and are said to be held with great conviction. However there is no consensus about how these beliefs differ from other beliefs that are also held with great tenacity (ie. religious and political beliefs). The mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of delusional beliefs are also still largely unknown. Cognitive theories have generally focused on reasoning processes. This study will address two hypotheses that have been overlooked in previous reserach.
The first possibility is that there is something abnormal about the way that deluded patients make judgments of certainty. The relevant metacognitive processes have been extensively studied in the context of normal attitude formation but they have not been examined in patients who are experiencing delusional beliefs. We will therefore compare patients with delusions, patients without delusions and healthy controls using a millionaire-style game, measuring the relationship between reaction times, judgement of certainty (measured by self-report ratings) and accuracy; in healthy participants reaction times are generally faster for more certain judgments. The influence of threat content will also be explored by comparing differences in responses to threat vs neutral-based questions.
A second possibility is that delusions are related to the inability to calibrate one’s beliefs against the beliefs of other people. An essential component of healthy cognition is coalitional - people reason in coordination with others in order to establish shared beliefs (reality sharing). Therefore, this research also aims to explore whether people with delusions have an impairment in this aspect of coalitional cognition, again by comparing deluded patients, no-deluded patients and healthy controls.
REC name
Wales REC 6
REC reference
23/WA/0271
Date of REC Opinion
8 Nov 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion