Return to search

Can virtual reality be used to understand persecutory delusions?

Persecutory delusions can be conceptualised as beliefs about the intentions of others. Contemporary models of persecutory delusions have different approaches to understanding interpersonal processes in paranoia. The current paper provides a critical review of the theoretical approaches and the empirical evidence on interpersonal processes across the continuum of paranoia. The three main models of persecutory delusions (Bentall and colleagues' Delusions-as-defence model, Freeman and Colleagues' Threat anticipation model and Trower and Chadwick Interpersonal theory of the self) propose that the social environment is involved in the development of persecutory delusions but they put forward different mechanisms to explain this. The evidence on interpersonal processes is organised in five main areas: interpersonal life events, attachment, schematic beliefs about relationships, social cognition and interpersonal behaviour. The review concludes with a summary of the evidence in relation to the three theoretical approaches, a discussion of methodological issues and the implications for future research.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:634576
Date January 2007
CreatorsFornells-Ambrojo, M.
PublisherUniversity College London (University of London)
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttp://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1444679/

Page generated in 0.0016 seconds