The relationship among paranoid characteristics, attributions for negative events and self-concept

Abstract

According to influential Bental’s theory of persecutory thinking persons with those ideas avoid negative believes about self by means of explanations for negative events as intentionally done by other people (personal attributions). The aim of this study is to test these basic hypotheses of Bental’s theory and determine the relations among paranoid characteristics, personal attributions for negative situations, and discrepancies between Actual, on one side, and Ideal and Ought-self, on the other. 150 undergraduate students of both genders completed a buttery of tests consisted of: Feningstein Paranoia scale, Bental’s The Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire, and Higgins’ The Selves Questionnaire. The Principal Component Analysis revealed four dimensions of paranoid characteristics in normal population: Hypersensitivity, Bitterness, Accusations and Social anxiety. Zero order correlations suggested tendency of Hypersensitivity to be related with Actual/Ideal discrepancy, as well as that of Bitterness with Actual/Ought discrepancy. MANCOVA with one between factor (high and low personalizers), one within factor (four dimensions of paranoid characteristics), and self-discrepancies as covariates confirmed the significant positive relation between Hypersensitivity and Actual/Ideal discrepancy. The significant interaction of between and within factors suggested that subjects with higher personalizing tendencies are more prone to accusations, contrary to those with social anxiety who significantly less use personal attributions. Results are discussed in terms of current theories of paranoid thinking.