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Interpersonal complementarity in responses to auditory hallucinations in psychosis
Neil Thomas1, Hamish J McLeod, Chris R Brewin
1Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. neil.thomas@med.monash.edu.au
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|March 24, 2009
Summary
People respond to auditory hallucinations similarly to how they interact with others. Hostile voices lead to hostile responses, but people do not easily submit to controlling voices, suggesting other factors are involved.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Interpersonal relating models suggest complementarity: hostility begets hostility, dominance begets submission.
- This principle's application to auditory hallucinations in psychosis remains under-examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if the complementarity principle predicts patient responses to auditory hallucinations.
- To explore the relationship between appraisals of hallucinated voices and behavioral responses.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-five individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder participated.
- Participants rated their relationship with auditory verbal hallucinations using the Structural Analysis of Social Behaviour.
- Measures of voice-related distress and depression were also administered.
Main Results:
- Participants reliably ascribed interpersonal behaviors to their voices.
- Perceived voice hostility strongly predicted reciprocal hostile responses.
- Perceived voice control weakly predicted submission to voices.
- Voice hostility correlated with distress; voice control correlated with depression.
Conclusions:
- Responses to auditory hallucinations reflect interpersonal patterns, particularly regarding perceived hostility and affiliation.
- Individuals with psychosis do not readily submit to perceived voice control, indicating other factors influence this dynamic.
- Further research is needed to understand factors governing submission to controlling voices.
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