Related Experiment Videos
The delusion of inanimate doubles
1Sir Douglas Crawford Unit, Mossley Hill Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Psychopathology
|January 1, 1994
Summary
The delusion of inanimate doubles is a variant of Capgras syndrome in about 10% of cases. This finding challenges existing psychological theories on delusional misidentification syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Delusional misidentification syndromes involve misidentifying familiar people or places.
- Capgras phenomenon is a specific type of delusional misidentification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the delusion of inanimate doubles and Capgras phenomenon.
- To assess the implications of this relationship for existing psychological theories of misidentification.
Main Methods:
- Review of new cases of delusional misidentification reported between 1986 and 1992.
- Analysis of case characteristics to identify subtypes and their prevalence.
Main Results:
- Approximately 10% of reviewed cases exhibited the delusion of inanimate doubles.
- This delusion was identified as a variant of the Capgras phenomenon.
Conclusions:
- The delusion of inanimate doubles represents a specific manifestation within the broader Capgras phenomenon.
- The existence of this variant challenges the adequacy of current psychological theories attempting to explain delusional misidentification.