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Related Concept Videos

Magical Thinking01:29

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Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by recurrent obsessions, compulsions, or both, which consume significant time and interfere with daily functioning. Obsessions involve persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that evoke anxiety. Common examples include irrational fears of contamination or harm. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to reduce the anxiety caused by obsessions. For instance, individuals...
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Anxiety: Overview01:18

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Anxiety is a common mental disorder featuring excessive worry, fear, and apprehension, significantly affecting daily life. People with anxiety disorders experience persistent and intense anxiety, interrupting their everyday functioning.
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Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

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Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest with various positive symptoms, including thought, movement, and behavior disorders. These symptoms significantly disrupt cognitive and motor functions, leading to profound effects on an individual's ability to engage with the world.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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Published on: March 14, 2025

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Feared Self, Inferential Confusion, and Magical Ideation in Obsessive Compulsive Phenomena.

Yoon-Hee Yang1, Tess Jaeger2, Richard Moulding3

  • 1School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia.

Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
|June 21, 2025
PubMed
Summary

The feared self contributes to obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms, but inferential confusion mediates this link. Magical ideation further amplifies OC symptom severity, suggesting targeted cognitive interventions may improve treatment outcomes.

Keywords:
feared selfinferential confusionmagical ideationmagical thinkingobsessive–compulsive disorder

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • The feared self is linked to obsessive-compulsive (OC) phenomena, but does not fully explain the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
  • Other constructs, such as inferential confusion and magical ideation, may influence vulnerability to OCD.
  • Inferential confusion is an OCD-specific reasoning bias, and magical ideation relates to beliefs in ritual effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationships among the feared self, inferential confusion, and magical ideation in relation to OC symptoms.
  • To test a moderated-mediation model linking the feared self to OC symptoms through inferential confusion, moderated by magical ideation.

Main Methods:

  • A study was conducted with a nonclinical population (N=385).
  • A moderated-mediation model was analyzed using PROCESS.
  • The relationships between the feared self, inferential confusion, magical ideation, and OC symptoms were examined.

Main Results:

  • The feared self was linked to OC symptoms, mediated by inferential confusion.
  • Magical ideation moderated the effect of inferential confusion on OC symptoms.
  • The findings provide empirical support for the role of the feared self in predicting OC symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • A vulnerable self-view (feared self) can escalate to OCD symptoms via inferential confusion.
  • Magical ideation strengthens the relationship between inferential confusion and OC symptom severity.
  • Targeting cognitive biases like inferential confusion and magical ideation may enhance OCD treatment efficacy.