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Brouwer A, Carhart‐Harris RL, Raison CL. Psychotomimetic compensation versus sensitization. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2024; 12:e1217. [PMID: 38923845 PMCID: PMC11194300 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.1217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
It is a paradox that psychotomimetic drugs can relieve symptoms that increase risk of and cooccur with psychosis, such as attention and motivational deficits (e.g., amphetamines), pain (e.g., cannabis) and symptoms of depression (e.g., psychedelics, dissociatives). We introduce the ideas of psychotomimetic compensation and psychotomimetic sensitization to explain this paradox. Psychotomimetic compensation refers to a short-term stressor or drug-induced compensation against stress that is facilitated by engagement of neurotransmitter/modulator systems (endocannabinoid, serotonergic, glutamatergic and dopaminergic) that mediate the effects of common psychotomimetic drugs. Psychotomimetic sensitization occurs after repeated exposure to stress and/or drugs and is evidenced by the gradual intensification and increase of psychotic-like experiences over time. Theoretical and practical implications of this model are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Brouwer
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, School of Human EcologyUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | - Robin L. Carhart‐Harris
- Department of Neurology and PsychiatryUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Charles L. Raison
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public HealthUniversity of Wisconsin‐MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
- Vail Health Behavioral Health Innovation CenterVailColoradoUSA
- Center for the Study of Human HealthEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
- Department of Spiritual HealthEmory University Woodruff Health Sciences CenterAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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Monteiro de Barros MC, Leão FC, Vallada Filho H, Lucchetti G, Moreira-Almeida A, Prieto Peres MF. Prevalence of spiritual and religious experiences in the general population: A Brazilian nationwide study. Transcult Psychiatry 2022:13634615221088701. [PMID: 35382640 DOI: 10.1177/13634615221088701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Spiritual and religious experiences (SREs) are common subjective phenomena related to the awareness of transcendence, which transforms one's perception of life, death and suffering. Despite the high prevalence of SREs worldwide, not enough studies have been conducted beyond Europe and North America. To fill this gap, this study investigates the prevalence of SREs in Brazil and their association with socio-demographic variables. This online cross-sectional study includes participants from all regions of Brazil. Sixteen SREs were investigated, being categorized into 4 groups: mystical, mediumistic, psi-related and past life/near-death experiences. Prevalence was calculated as percentages and multinomial logistic regression models were used. A total of 1,053 Brazilians were included; 92% reported one SRE in their lifetime and 47.5% experienced at least one SRE frequently. Participants reported having had at least one mystical experience (35%), one psi-related experience (27.7%), and one mediumistic experience (11%). Half the sample had "felt the presence of a dead person" and 70% experienced precognitive dreams at least once. In a multivariate analysis, SREs were associated with the female gender but showed no associations with income, education, employment status and ethnicity. Mystical experiences were associated with age 55 and older. In summary, SREs are very prevalent across different strata of the population, and deserve more attention from researchers and clinicians in order to clarify their nature and implications for mental health care and research in Brazil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Monteiro de Barros
- Program of Spirituality, Religiosity and Health (ProSer), Institute of Psychiatry, 363307Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Frederico Camelo Leão
- Program of Spirituality, Religiosity and Health (ProSer), Institute of Psychiatry, 363307Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Homero Vallada Filho
- Program of Spirituality, Religiosity and Health (ProSer), Institute of Psychiatry, 363307Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giancarlo Lucchetti
- Research Center in Spirituality and Health (NUPES), School of Medicine, 469074Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Alexander Moreira-Almeida
- Research Center in Spirituality and Health (NUPES), School of Medicine, 469074Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF), Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Mario Fernando Prieto Peres
- Program of Spirituality, Religiosity and Health (ProSer), Institute of Psychiatry, 363307Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Rominger C, Fink A, Perchtold-Stefan CM, Schulter G, Weiss EM, Papousek I. Creative, yet not unique? Paranormal belief, but not self-rated creative ideation behavior is associated with a higher propensity to perceive unique meanings in randomness. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09269. [PMID: 35497038 PMCID: PMC9038559 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Apophenia, patternicity, and the experience of meaningful coincidences describe the propensity to perceive meaning in random arrangements, which is known to be linked with paranormal beliefs. Additionally, this trait of combining unrelated elements to create new meanings suggests an association with creativity. However, studies indicating a relationship between creativity and apophenia are scarce. To gain empirical evidence, the present study (n = 77) assessed the propensity to experience meaningful patterns in random arrangements by means of a questionnaire (coincidence questionnaire) and a behavioral measure. The applied figural association task allows to reliably differentiate between the perception of idiosyncratic/unique and intersubjective meaningful/non-unique patterns. Self-rated creative ideation behavior and paranormal beliefs were positively associated with the subjectively rated frequency of meaningful coincidences. Furthermore, participants high in both creative ideation behavior and paranormal beliefs perceived a higher number of non-unique meanings in the figural association task. Yet, participants high in paranormal beliefs additionally perceived a higher number of unique meanings. This divergence in findings suggests that creative ideation behavior and paranormal belief are associated with the perception of partly different meanings in random arrangements. In paranormal believers, this pattern of findings may indicate a lower threshold to detect meaning in meaninglessness, leading to more idiosyncratic/unique perceptions. Altogether, slight reductions of this threshold to detect meaningfulness may increase a persons' creativity; however, excessive pattern recognition may facilitate paranormal beliefs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andreas Fink
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Austria
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Andrade G. Mental Health and Religiosity Amongst Marialionceros in Venezuela. JOURNAL OF RELIGION AND HEALTH 2022; 61:269-285. [PMID: 34322860 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-021-01367-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although the religion of Maria Lionza is practiced throughout Venezuela, it is not in the mainstream of Venezuelan culture. As a result, traditionally this religious manifestation has been perceived negatively by the dominant religious establishment, as well as by intellectual and political elites. One particular concern in this dominant narrative is that the religion of Maria Lionza represents Venezuela's uncivilized past and therefore, it is an obstacle to the nation's path to modernization. This notion has found resonance in the realm of psychology, as it has been posited that the religion of Maria Lionza may have detrimental effects on mental health. The present study tests that hypothesis, by studying a sample of 68 Marialionceros and comparing them with a control group of 62 Catholics and 53 Protestants. Results show that, as compared to Catholics and Protestants, Marialionceros are at greater risk for schizotypy, but not for general mental health. Results also show that amongst Marialionceros, increased religiosity predicts decreased risk of depression.
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Carr P. The value of visioning: Augmenting EMDR with alpha-band alternating bilateral photic stimulation for trauma treatment in schizophrenia. Med Hypotheses 2020; 144:110184. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Centrality of Religiosity, Schizotypy, and Human Values: The Impact of Religious Affiliation. RELIGIONS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rel10050297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has established a reliable link between religiosity and schizotypy as well as schizophrenia. However, past research mainly measured religiosity as a one-dimensional construct. In the present research (N = 189), we aimed to get a better understanding of the religiosity–schizotypy link by measuring religiosity using Huber’s five-dimensional model of Centrality of Religiosity, while also testing for curvilinear relations and potential moderators. We found negative small-to-medium-sized correlations between all five dimensions of religiosity and the schizotypy dimension of impulsive nonconformity, but no reliable associations with the other three dimensions of schizotypy: unusual experiences, cognitive disorganization, and introverted anhedonia. Some of these associations were moderated by religious affiliation: Religiosity and schizotypy correlated positively among non-members, but negatively among members of religious communities, suggesting that affiliation has a positive impact on the well-being of religious people. In line with Huber’s predictions, we found a reversed U-shape association between the religious dimension of private religious practice and schizotypy. Unexpectedly, however, conformity and tradition values did not moderate the relations between religiosity and schizotypy. We discuss our findings in terms of person–environment fit, the prevention hypothesis of the schizotypy-religiosity link, and offer implications for mental health practitioners.
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Kállai J, Rózsa S, Hupuczi E, Hargitai R, Birkás B, Hartung I, Martin L, Herold R, Simon M. Cognitive fusion and affective isolation: Blurred self-concept and empathy deficits in schizotypy. Psychiatry Res 2019; 271:178-186. [PMID: 30481696 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.11.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 10/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
This is a cross-sectional nonclinical sample study to examine the different levels of the Ipsiety Disturbance Model (IDM) for schizophrenia spectrum disorders (introduced by Sass and Parnas, 2003). Three faces of schizotypy were studied: diminished self-presence, hyper-reflexivity, and distortion in experience of own self and another person's self-discrimination. A sample of college students (N = 1312) was provided a questionnaire packet that contained the Schizotypy Personality Questionnaire Brief-Revisited (SPQ-BR), the Self-Concept Clarity Sale, the Tellegen Absorption Scale, and Interpersonal Reactivity Index measures. Results: higher absorption capabilities predict higher scores on both the SPQ-BR cognitive and SPQ-BR disorganization factors. High scores in cognitive empathy predicted a low score on both SPQ-BR cognitive and SPQ-BR interpersonal scores. In contrast, higher affective empathy predicted high scores on the SPQ-BR interpersonal factor. The deficiency in self-concept clarity predicted an elevated score on the SPQ-BR cognitive, interpersonal, and disorganization schizotypy symptoms. We argue that a lack of self-concept clarity manifested in both the hyperreflexivity level (measured by absorption) and the metallization level (measured by empathy). We argue that the IDM is a reliable way to interpret functioning with different levels of schizotypy.
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Affiliation(s)
- János Kállai
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, Pécs 7625, Hungary.
| | - Sándor Rózsa
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
| | - Ernő Hupuczi
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, Pécs 7625, Hungary.
| | - Rita Hargitai
- Department of Personality and Clinical Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Béla Birkás
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, Pécs 7625, Hungary.
| | - István Hartung
- Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Szigeti út 12, Pécs 7625, Hungary.
| | - László Martin
- Department of Pedagogy and Psychology, Kaposvári University, Kaposvár, Hungary.
| | - Róbert Herold
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, Universi of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
| | - Mária Simon
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, Universi of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
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Rominger C, Schulter G, Fink A, Weiss EM, Papousek I. Meaning in meaninglessness: The propensity to perceive meaningful patterns in coincident events and randomly arranged stimuli is linked to enhanced attention in early sensory processing. Psychiatry Res 2018; 263:225-232. [PMID: 29179910 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.07.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Perception of objectively independent events or stimuli as being significantly connected and the associated proneness to perceive meaningful patterns constitute part of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, which are associated with altered attentional processes in lateralized speech perception. Since perceiving meaningful patterns is to some extent already prevalent in the general population, the aim of the study was to investigate whether the propensity to experience meaningful patterns in co-occurring events and random stimuli may be associated with similar altered attentional processes in lateralized speech perception. Self-reported and behavioral indicators of the perception of meaningful patterns were assessed in non-clinical individuals, along with EEG auditory evoked potentials during the performance of an attention related lateralized speech perception task (Dichotic Listening Test). A greater propensity to perceive meaningful patterns was associated with higher N1 amplitudes of the evoked potentials to the onset of the dichotically presented consonant-vowel syllables, indicating enhanced automatic attention in early sensory processing. The study suggests that more basic mechanisms in how people associate events may play a greater role in the cognitive biases that are manifest in personality expressions such as positive schizotypy, rather than that positive schizotypy moderates these cognitive biases directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Rominger
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria.
| | - Günter Schulter
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Andreas Fink
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Elisabeth M Weiss
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Ilona Papousek
- Department of Psychology, Biological Psychology Unit, University of Graz, Austria
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Dagnall N, Denovan A, Drinkwater K, Parker A, Clough P. Toward a Better Understanding of the Relationship between Belief in the Paranormal and Statistical Bias: The Potential Role of Schizotypy. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1045. [PMID: 27471481 PMCID: PMC4943933 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present paper examined relationships between schizotypy (measured by the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experience; O-LIFE scale brief), belief in the paranormal (assessed via the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale; RPBS) and proneness to statistical bias (i.e., perception of randomness and susceptibility to conjunction fallacy). Participants were 254 volunteers recruited via convenience sampling. Probabilistic reasoning problems appeared framed within both standard and paranormal contexts. Analysis revealed positive correlations between the Unusual Experience (UnExp) subscale of O-LIFE and paranormal belief measures [RPBS full scale, traditional paranormal beliefs (TPB) and new age philosophy]. Performance on standard problems correlated negatively with UnExp and belief in the paranormal (particularly the TPB dimension of the RPBS). Consideration of specific problem types revealed that perception of randomness associated more strongly with belief in the paranormal than conjunction; both problem types related similarly to UnExp. Structural equation modeling specified that belief in the paranormal mediated the indirect relationship between UnExp and statistical bias. For problems presented in a paranormal context a framing effect occurred. Whilst UnExp correlated positively with conjunction proneness (controlling for perception of randomness), there was no association between UnExp and perception of randomness (controlling for conjunction).
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Dagnall
- Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester, UK
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Wlodarski R, Pearce E. The God Allusion. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2016; 27:160-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-016-9256-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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11
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You Don't See What I See: Individual Differences in the Perception of Meaning from Visual Stimuli. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150615. [PMID: 26954696 PMCID: PMC4783041 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Everyone has their own unique version of the visual world and there has been growing interest in understanding the way that personality shapes one's perception. Here, we investigated meaningful visual experiences in relation to the personality dimension of schizotypy. In a novel approach to this issue, a non-clinical sample of subjects (total n = 197) were presented with calibrated images of scenes, cartoons and faces of varying visibility embedded in noise; the spatial properties of the images were constructed to mimic the natural statistics of the environment. In two experiments, subjects were required to indicate what they saw in a large number of unique images, both with and without actual meaningful structure. The first experiment employed an open-ended response paradigm and used a variety of different images in noise; the second experiment only presented a series of faces embedded in noise, and required a forced-choice response from the subjects. The results in all conditions indicated that a high positive schizotypy score was associated with an increased tendency to perceive complex meaning in images comprised purely of random visual noise. Individuals high in positive schizotypy seemed to be employing a looser criterion (response bias) to determine what constituted a 'meaningful' image, while also being significantly less sensitive at the task than those low in positive schizotypy. Our results suggest that differences in perceptual performance for individuals high in positive schizotypy are not related to increased suggestibility or susceptibility to instruction, as had previously been suggested. Instead, the observed reductions in sensitivity along with increased response bias toward seeing something that is not there, indirectly implicated subtle neurophysiological differences associated with the personality dimension of schizotypy, that are theoretically pertinent to the continuum of schizophrenia and hallucination-proneness.
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Abstract
A long-standing tradition in personality research in psychology, and nowadays increasingly in psychiatry, is that psychotic and psychotic-like thoughts are considered common experiences in the general population. Given their widespread occurrence, such experiences cannot merely reflect pathological functioning. Moreover, reflecting the multi-dimensionality of schizotypy, some dimensions might be informative for healthy functioning while others less so. Here, we explored these possibilities by reviewing research that links schizotypy to favorable functioning such as subjective wellbeing, cognitive functioning (major focus on creativity), and personality correlates. This research highlights the existence of healthy people with psychotic-like traits who mainly experience positive schizotypy (but also affective features mapping onto bipolar disorder). These individuals seem to benefit from a healthy way to organize their thoughts and experiences, that is, they employ an adaptive cognitive framework to explain and integrate their unusual experiences. We conclude that, instead of focusing only on the pathological, future studies should explore the behavioral, genetic, imaging, and psychopharmacological correlates that define the healthy expression of psychotic-like traits. Such studies would inform on protective or compensatory mechanisms of psychosis-risk and could usefully inform us on the evolutionary advantages of the psychosis dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Mohr
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland;
| | - Gordon Claridge
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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13
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Exploring the perceptual biases associated with believing and disbelieving in paranormal phenomena. Conscious Cogn 2014; 28:30-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2014] [Revised: 06/13/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Swami VIREN, Pietschnig J, Tran ULRICHS, Nader INGOW, Stieger S, Voracek M. Lunar Lies: The Impact of Informational Framing and Individual Differences in Shaping Conspiracist Beliefs About the Moon Landings. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.2873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakob Pietschnig
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, School of Psychology; University of Vienna; Vienna; Austria
| | - ULRICH S. Tran
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, School of Psychology; University of Vienna; Vienna; Austria
| | - INGO W. Nader
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, School of Psychology; University of Vienna; Vienna; Austria
| | - Stefan Stieger
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, School of Psychology; University of Vienna; Vienna; Austria
| | - Martin Voracek
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, School of Psychology; University of Vienna; Vienna; Austria
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Farias M, Underwood R, Claridge G. Unusual but sound minds: mental health indicators in spiritual individuals. Br J Psychol 2012; 104:364-81. [PMID: 23848387 DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2012.02128.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has linked certain types of modern spirituality, including New Age and Pagan, with either benign schizotypy or insecure attachment. While the first view emphasizes a positive aspect of spiritual believers' mental health (benign schizotypy), the second view emphasizes a negative aspect, namely the unhealthy emotional compensation associated with an insecure attachment style. This study addresses these two conflicting views by comparing a sample of modern spiritual individuals (N = 114) with a contrast group of traditional religious believers (N = 86). Measures of schizotypy and attachment style were combined with mental health scales of anxiety and depression. We further assessed death anxiety to determine whether modern spiritual beliefs fulfilled a similar function as traditional religious beliefs in the reduction of existential threat. Our results support a psychological contiguity between traditional and modern spiritual believers and reinforce the need to de-stigmatize spiritual ideas and experiences. Using hierarchical regression, we showed that unusual experiences and ideas are the major predictor of engagement in modern spiritual practices. Anxiety, depression variables, and insecure attachment were not significant predictors of spirituality or correlated with them; on the other hand, the results show that spiritual believers report high social support satisfaction and this variable predicts involvement in modern spirituality. Further, spiritual practices were negatively correlated with and negatively predicted by death anxiety scores. Overall, the results strengthen the association between modern spirituality, good mental health, and general well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Farias
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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16
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Rominger C, Weiss EM, Fink A, Schulter G, Papousek I. Allusive thinking (cognitive looseness) and the propensity to perceive “meaningful” coincidences. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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18
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Meyersburg CA, McNally RJ. Reduced death distress and greater meaning in life among individuals reporting past life memory. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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19
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Belief in conspiracy theories. The role of paranormal belief, paranoid ideation and schizotypy. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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20
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Abstract
Previous single studies have found inconsistent results on sex differences in positive schizotypy, women scoring mainly higher than men, whereas in negative schizotypy studies have often found that men score higher than women. However, information on the overall effect is unknown. In this study, meta-analytic methods were used to estimate sex differences in Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales developed to measure schizotypal traits and psychosis proneness. We also studied the effect of the sample characteristics on possible differences. Studies on healthy populations were extensively collected; the required minimum sample size was 50. According to the results, men scored higher on the scales of negative schizotypy, ie, in the Physical Anhedonia Scale (n = 23 studies, effect size, Cohen d = 0.59, z test P < .001) and Social Anhedonia Scale (n = 14, d = 0.44, P < .001). Differences were virtually nonexistent in the measurements of the positive schizotypy, ie, the Magical Ideation Scale (n = 29, d = -0.01, P = .74) and Perceptual Aberration Scale (n = 22, d = -0.08, P = .05). The sex difference was larger in studies with nonstudent and older samples on the Perceptual Aberration Scale (d = -0.19 vs d = -0.03, P < .05). This study was the first one to pool studies on sex differences in these scales. The gender differences in social anhedonia both in nonclinical samples and in schizophrenia may relate to a broader aspect of social and interpersonal deficits. The results should be taken into account in studies using these instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Erika Jääskeläinen
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
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21
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