Abstract
The validity of the Paranoia Scale of Fenigstein and Vanable (1992) was investigated in a schizophrenic population. The scale was found to be correlated with clinical ratings of paranoia and marginally with a situational test of paranoia. Further, Fenigstein and Vanable's study of the relation between paranoia and self-consciousness was extended from a normal population to schizophrenic patients. Contrary to Fenigstein and Vanable, paranoia was found to be related to private, but not to public self-consciousness. This finding is discussed in the light of possible differences in self-processes between normals and schizophrenics. Finally, Fenigstein and Vanable's arguments concerning paranoid personalism in social cognition were investigated. It was expected that paranoia and public self-consciousness would be related to extreme evaluations of people. This was partly confirmed for paranoia, but not for public self-consciousness. The implications are discussed.
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This study was supported by a grant from the Icelandic Science Council to the first author.
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Smári, J., Stefánsson, S. & Thorgilsson, H. Paranoia, self-consciousness, and social cognition in schizophrenics. Cogn Ther Res 18, 387–399 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357512
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02357512