The Role of Subclinical Paranoia in Social Cognition and Social Functioning among University Students- A Comparative Study

Abstract

A person with subclinical paranoia has mild or subtle paranoid beliefs, thoughts, or suspicions that are not severe enough to require a professional diagnosis. The current study aims to understand how social cognitions and social functioning of undergraduate university students between the ages of 18 and 23 are affected by subclinical paranoid. How closely these three variables are connected. The study also intends to investigate how ambiguous cues affect a person’s level of paranoia. Three separate scales were applied to the study’s 58 participants. The association and impact of ambiguous stimuli were determined using multiple linear regression techniques. According to the findings, social paranoia, social cognitions, and social functioning are all significantly positively correlated. Additionally, it discovered that after presenting the subjects with ambiguous stimuli, there is a slight but substantial change in the individuals’ level of paranoia. Discussions were held in relation to this. In conclusion, the study highlights how young adults who experience more persecution have poorer social cognition and social functioning. As a result, interventions are needed, as well as ways for lowering the probability of fully functional paranoia and psychosis in the near future.