Cognitive factors in predisposition to auditory and visual hallucinations

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychopathology

Background:

• Hallucinations are a key symptom in psychosis, but also occur in the general population.
• Understanding predisposition to hallucinations in non-psychiatric individuals is crucial for early detection and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the Launay Slade Hallucination Scale (LSHS) for measuring auditory and visual hallucination predisposition.
• To investigate the relationship between meta-cognition and hallucination predisposition in a non-psychiatric sample.
• To test if high hallucination predisposition is associated with specific meta-cognitive beliefs and thought control strategies.

Main Methods:

• A within-participants correlational design was used.
• 105 non-psychiatric participants completed a revised LSHS, alongside measures of paranoia, meta-cognitive beliefs, thought control strategies, anxiety, depression, and beliefs about unusual perceptual experiences.

Main Results:

• The modified LSHS successfully measured distinct auditory and visual hallucination predisposition.
• Positive beliefs about unusual perceptual experiences were the strongest predictor of hallucination predisposition.
• Participants with higher hallucination predisposition reported using different thought control strategies and held different negative meta-cognitive beliefs.

Conclusions:

• Meta-cognitive beliefs about thoughts and hallucinatory phenomena are implicated in hallucination predisposition.
• Findings suggest potential targets for intervention in individuals with subclinical hallucinatory experiences.