Paranoia in Social Contexts: An Investigation Using Virtual Reality, Eye-tracking, and Mindfulness Training

Paranoia, the belief that others intend to cause harm, is a common and distressing experience in the general population, consistent with continuum models of mental health. This PhD thesis examined the experience and measurement of paranoia in the nonclinical population across two social contexts. Study One explored the prevalence and experience of workplace paranoia through the development of two novel measures: the Personal Experiences of Paranoia Scale in the Workplace and the Paranoia at Work Scale. Overall, the results suggested that, at least within the convenience sample used, workplace paranoia is prevalent and may have serious implications for both individual wellbeing and the overall workplace environment. Study Two employed the novel integration of eye-tracking within virtual reality (VR) to explore potential behavioural indices of paranoia. It specifically assessed the associations between self-reported paranoia, gaze allocation, and interpersonal distance to human-like avatars in neutral (part one) and moderately threat-inducing (part two) VR bar environments. The findings indicated that, while the eye-tracking indices were not associated with self-reported paranoia, larger minimum interpersonal distances were correlated with increased state paranoia. Behavioural indices in VR have the potential to contribute to objective assessments of paranoia; however, further refinement and investigation are required. Study Three employed a randomised controlled trial to assess whether a two-week online mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) could reduce self-reported paranoia compared to a waitlist control (WLC). It also examined changes in behavioural indices from Study Two following the MBI and explored mindfulness and positive affect as potential therapeutic mechanisms. Overall, the MBI was found to reduce state paranoia compared to the WLC from pre- to post-intervention and at one-month follow-up. Trait mindfulness and affect did not act as mechanisms of change, and changes in behavioural indices were attributed to time rather than the intervention.