Psychiatria pre prax 1/2023

The relationship between psychotic experiences and conspiratorial ideation in a non-clinical population − a pilot study

The concept of the psychotic phenotype assumes that behavioral expression indicative of risk for developing a psychotic disorder is also present in the non-clinical population, and thus psychotic experiences may be experienced by individuals who have not been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Conspiracy ideation shares several similarities with delusional beliefs seen in psychotic disorders. This study aimed to examine the relationship between psychotic experiences, conspiracy ideation, and associated psychological factors. The research population consisted of 103 students of the Faculty of Philosophy of Comenius University (80 women and 23 men). The mean age was M=20.80 and SD=2.17 years. The frequency of psychotic experiences was associated with conspiracy ideations. Furthermore, the frequency of psychotic experiences was positively related to the degree of emotional distress (depression, anxiety, and stress), cognitive biases, and personality variables. Conspiratorial ideation showed a similar relationship profile, except for experienced distress. Thus, the results indicate similarities between psychotic experiences and conspiratorial ideation. Implications of the findings are discussed further.

Keywords: psychotic experiences, conspiracy ideation, affectivity, cognitive biases, personality