PARANOIA, SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, AND SOCIAL COGNITION IN SCHIZOPHRENICS

The validity of the-Paranoia Scale of Fenigstein and Vanable (1992) wa s investigated in a schizophrenic population. The scale was found to b e correlated with clinical ratings of paranoia and marginally with a s ituational test of paranoia. Further, Fenigstein and Vanable's study o f the relation between paranoia and self-consciousness was extended fr om a normal population to schizophrenic patients. Contrary to Fenigste in and Vanable, paranoia was found to be related to private, but not t o public self-consciousness. This finding is discussed in the light of possible differences in self-processes between normals and schizophre nics. Finally, Fenigstein and Vanable's arguments concerning paranoid personalism in social cognition were investigated. It was expected tha t paranoia and public self-consciousness would be related to average e valuations of people. This was partly confirmed for paranoia, but not for public self-consciousness. The implications are discussed.