SA124. Increased Social Cognitive Bias in Subclinical Paranoia

Abstract

Background: Recent analyses from the SCOPE study have revealed signif-cant relationships between measures of social cognitive biases and specifc symptoms, such as paranoia, in individuals with schizophrenia (Buck et al, 2016; Pinkham et al. 2016). Although prior research in subclinical populations report that those with high levels of paranoia exhibit defcits in social cognition and social functioning (Combs & Penn 2004, Combs et al 2013), we seek to expand this literature by examining the relationship between paranoia, social cognitive biases, and social functioning to determine whether the same symptom-specifc defcits can be seen in a nonclinical population. Methods: Utilizing measures of social cognition identifed by a RAND panel in Pinkham et al (2014), undergraduate participants were tested on emotion recognition, Theory of Mind, social perception, and attributional style as well as state paranoia, clinical measures associated with paranoia, and self-assessments of social functioning. Results: Using bivariate correlations, we examined the relationship between subclinical paranoia, social cognition, and social functioning. Self-ratings of subclinical paranoia were validated via signifcant correlations with clinical measures, supporting the notion that these individuals fall along the paranoia continuum. Moderate correlations were seen between paranoia ratings and AIHQ hostility bias (r =.367), aggression bias (r =.442), and blame score (r =.344), all Ps