PARANOIA, SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS, AND SOCIAL COGNITION IN SCHIZOPHRENICS

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