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Conflict and cooperation in paranoia: a large-scale behavioural experiment
1Department of Experimental Psychology,University College London,London,UK.
Psychological Medicine
|October 18, 2017
Summary
Paranoia leads to reduced cooperation and increased punishment in social interactions. Contrary to expectations, distrust does not fully explain this behavior, suggesting self-interest may play a larger role.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Neuroscience
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Paranoia is characterized by beliefs of others' harmful intent, yet its social consequences remain understudied.
- Investigating paranoia's impact on social behavior is crucial for understanding its broader implications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine if paranoia predicts maladaptive social behaviors, specifically cooperative and punitive actions.
- To test whether distrust, as previously suggested, explains reduced cooperation in individuals with paranoia.
Main Methods:
- A large online sample (N=2132) completed the Paranoid Thoughts Scale.
- Participants engaged in experimental game theory paradigms: Dictator Game and Ultimatum Game.
- Predictions regarding offers and punitive responses were pre-registered.
Main Results:
- Highly paranoid individuals made lower offers in both Dictator and Ultimatum Games.
- Paranoia positively predicted punitive responses.
- Findings contradicted the distrust-based explanation for reduced cooperation.
Conclusions:
- Distrust is not the primary driver of reduced cooperation in paranoia; increased self-interest may be a better explanation.
- Attributing harmful intent significantly motivates punitive behavior.
- Rethinking existing accounts of paranoia's social behavior is necessary, considering diverse underlying motivations.