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Paranoia is a central symptom of psychosis.〔Green et al., 2008〕 It is characterized by an unfounded or exaggerated distrust of others, sometimes reaching delusional proportions. Paranoid individuals constantly suspect the motives of those around them, and believe that certain individuals, or people in general, are out to get them. At least 50% of the diagnosed cases of schizophrenia experience delusions of reference and delusions of persecution.〔Sartorius et al. 1986 ; Cutting, 1997〕 Paranoia perceptions and behavior may be part of many mental illnesses, such as depression and dementia, but they are more prevalent in three mental disorders: paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorder (persecutory type), and paranoid personality disorder. Paranoia symptoms in paranoid schizophrenia and delusional disorder are characterized by persecutory delusions (irrational beliefs that someone else is plotting against them). Persecutory delusions in paranoid schizophrenia are bizarre (clearly implausible, not understandable, and not derived from ordinary life experiences), grandiose and frequently accompanied by auditory hallucinations. In contrast, persecutory delusions in delusional disorder are not bizarre (delusion is about situations that could occur in real life, such as being followed, being loved, having an infection, and being deceived by one's spouse) but still unjustified. Persons with paranoia personality disorder tend to be self-centered, defensive and emotionally distant. The paranoia is characterized by continuous suspicions. This disorder may impact on social, personal, and professional areas. ==Criteria== The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), provide the following criteria for paranoid schizophrenia, delusional disorder, and paranoia personality disorder: Paranoid schizophrenia: is a type of Schizophrenia in which the following criteria are met: * Preoccupation with one or more delusions or frequent auditory hallucinations. * None of the following is prominent: disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, or flat or inappropriate affect. The criteria for delusional disorder are: * Non-bizarre delusions which have been present for at least one month * Absence of obviously odd or bizarre behavior * Absence of hallucinations, or hallucinations that only occur infrequently in comparison to other psychotic disorders * No memory loss, medical illness or drug or alcohol-related effects are associated with the development of delusions Diagnostic criteria for Paranoid Personality Disorder are: (Four or more of the following) * Suspicions, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her * Preoccupation with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates * Reluctance to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her * Reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events * Persistent bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights * Perception of attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack * Recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner. Colbi (1981) defined ''paranoid cognition'' in terms of ''persecutory delusions and false beliefs whose propositional content clusters around ideas of being harassed, threatened, harmed, subjugated, persecuted, accused, mistreated, wronged, tormented, disparaged, vilified, and so on, by malevolent others, either specific individuals or groups'' (p. 518). Three components of paranoid cognition have been identified by Robins & Post: ''a) suspicions without enough basis that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving them; b) preoccupation with unjustified doubts about the loyalty, or trustworthiness, of friends or associates; c) reluctance to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against them'' (1997, p. 3). Paranoid cognition has been conceptualized by clinical psychology almost exclusively in terms of psychodynamic constructs and dispositional variables. From this point of view, paranoid cognition is a manifestation of an intra-psychic conflict/disturbance. For instance, Colby (1981) suggested that the biases of blame other for one’s problems serve to alleviate the distress produced by the feeling of being humiliated, and helps to repudiate the belief that the self is blame for such incompetence. This intra-psychic perspective emphasize that the cause of paranoid cognitions are inside the head of the people (social perceiver), and dismiss the fact that paranoid cognition may be related with the social context in which such cognitions are embedded. This point is extremely relevant because when origins of distrust and suspicion (two components of paranoid cognition) are studied many researchers have accentuated the importance of social interaction. Even more, model of trust development pointed out that trust increase or decrease as function of the cumulative history of interaction between two or more persons.〔Deutsch, 1958〕 Another relevant difference must be done among “’pathological and non-pathological forms of trust and distrust”’. According to Deutsch, the main difference is that non-pathological forms are flexible and responsive to changing circumstances. Pathological forms reflect exaggerated perceptual biases and judgmental predispositions that can arise and perpetuate them. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Paranoid social cognition」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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