The paranoid person: cognitive motivations and personality traits

The purpose was to contribute to a better understanding of the personality structure and dynamics of paranoia. In study 1, 29 paranoid patients and three control groups (30 schizophrenics, 27 depressives, and 64 healthy subjects) were administered the Cognitive Orientation (CO) Questionnaire of Paranoia, which included beliefs of four types (goals, norms, about self, and general) referring to 44 themes (e.g. masculinity, strength). Discriminant analyses (based on longer and shorter versions of the questionnaire) showed that the four belief types enabled significant discrimination among the four groups and that there is a CO based on themes and conflicts characteristic for paranoia. In Study 2, 31 paranoids and 31 healthy controls were administered the Meaning Test which yielded prevalidated scores for 124 personality traits. The results showed that paranoids have a clear-cut personality profile, with traits in clinical (e.g. obsessive), interpersonal (e.g. extravert, leadership), emotional, cognitive, and other domains. The findings are integrated and the convergences between the behavioral tendencies and personality traits specified, in an attempt to identify the major features of the paranoid, including potential dangers and therapeutic chances. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prenatal maternal representations: Mothers at psychosocial risk

The aim of the study was to explore differences in the content of prenatal mental representations between a risk group (n = 84) and a low‐risk group (n = 296) of pregnant women, enrolled from maternity care centers in southwestern Finland. The method used was semantic differentials of IRMAG (Interview of Maternal Representations During Pregnancy). The risk group was defined by means of questionnaire screens that concerned chemical dependency, depression, difficulties in social environment, and low social support. The ratings on all target subjects, i.e., child, self, partner, self‐as‐mother and own mother‐as‐mother, were significantly more negative in the risk group. The representation profiles of the groups differed: especially the ratings of partner and own mother‐as‐mother were more consistently and strongly negative among the risk mothers. © 2001 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.     

Crashing Memories and the Problem of ‘Source Monitoring’

We demonstrate that it is relatively easy in a real life situation to make reasonably intelligent adults believe that they have witnessed something they actually have not seen themselves, but only heard reports about from others, and to make them report about particular details of the event. The event concerns the crashing of an El Al Boeing 747 on apartment buildings in Amsterdam. Over sixty per cent of the subjects said they had seen the crash on television, although no television film exists. Unexpectedly, women proved themselves significantly more vulnerable to this effect than men.     

Personality and the experimental study of education

Literature is reviewed suggesting that a child's personality determines to a large extent his or her reaction to specific methods of teaching, and even to the whole ethos and atmosphere of the teaching situation. Thus, extraverted children benefit from being taught along the lines of discovery learning, while introverted children benefit from being taught along the lines of reception learning. The apparent lack of difference in achievement in groups taught by these methods hides the large individual differences factor that appears in the interaction term. It is suggested that facts of this kind should be of considerable concern to those who design our courses for future teachers, and for teachers generally. We owe our children care in the design of methods for teaching, and personality differences play an important part in such design.     

My beliefs about your beliefs: a case study in theory of mind and epistemic logic

We model three examples of beliefs that agents may have about other agents’ beliefs, and provide motivation for this conceptualization from the theory of mind literature. We assume a modal logical framework for modelling degrees of belief by partially ordered preference relations. In this setting, we describe that agents believe that other agents do not distinguish among their beliefs (‘no preferences’), that agents believe that the beliefs of other agents are in part as their own (‘my preferences’), and the special case that agents believe that the beliefs of other agents are exactly as their own (‘preference refinement’). This multi-agent belief interaction is frame characterizable. We provide examples for introspective agents. We investigate which of these forms of belief interaction are preserved under three common forms of belief revision.     

Interpretive flexibility: why doesn't insight incite controversy in mental health law?

This research investigates how the term "insight" was employed in 25 decisions from mental health review proceedings in Victoria, Australia. The application of insight appears problematic in these decisions. First, there is little clarification of its meaning. Second, the logic applied when insight is related to compliance is often unclear. Third, there are frequent allusions to an implicit and undefined scale of insight, offering the appearance of objectivity. We have analysed insight as an 'interpretive resource', focusing on its various functions in the complex social context of commitment hearings and with a view to its therapeutic jurisprudence implications. The variable application of insight-its interpretive flexibility-appears useful in addressing complex problems faced by review boards. Hence, a key function of insight is to bridge between legal and clinical discourses. Insight is also a convenient means to avoid complicated debates regarding the person's credibility. By analysing insight in Victoria, we hope to contribute to better theoretical understanding of decision-making patterns in mental health law in general.