1. Researcher: Witold Orlik
Paranoid ideation in a nonclinical sample: Investigating the role of loneliness and the mediating effects of Theory of Mind and Personal Belief in a Just World.
Researcher: Witold Orlik

2. Project background, paranoid ideation
Hostile and persecutory thoughts
Associated with serious mental disorders, e.g. schizophrenia, but also experienced to some extent by 15% to 20 % of general population.
Range between normal paranoid thinking and psychosis, and clinical paranoia results from overgeneralization of an ordinary, functional thought process.
Links between paranoid ideation and loneliness

3. Project background, loneliness
Emotionally unpleasant state
Characterized by self-perceived, inadequate or insufficient social connections 
Approximately 80% of the general population under 18 years of age, and 40% of those who are 65 years of age or more experience loneliness at least occasionally

4. Project background, the mediators
Theory of Mind – ability to “read” others’ feelings, intentions and predict their actions
Personal Belief in a Just World – perception of the world, rather fair or rather dangerous

5. Rationale and aim of the study
Paranoid ideation, loneliness, Theory of Mind and Personal Belief in a Just World researched extensively but never incorporated into one cohesive model
Explore mechanisms underlying loneliness-based paranoid ideation (direct and indirect effects)

7. Methods
Survey design
Mediation analysis applied to investigate the data
Statistical tool, superior to ordinary regression analysis as path analysis goes beyond the approximation of direct effects.
Path analysis allows to examine the causal processes underlying the associations and to evaluate the importance of alternative paths of influence

8. Results
Males scored significantly higher on Theory of Mind than females (past research support)
Paranoid ideation – loneliness the highest zero-order correlation
Mediation, direct effects: statistically significant with and without the mediators
Mediation, indirect effects: loneliness to the mediators – significant, from the mediators to paranoid ideation – nonsignificant results

11. Discussion
Relatively high levels of paranoid ideation and low levels of loneliness - supported in past research, (Murphy & Shevlin, 2012)
Links between paranoid ideation and loneliness – support in past research
Loneliness predicting ToM and PBiJW
Nonsignificant effects between ToM, PBiJW and paranoid ideation, possible reasons: low ecological validity of ToM, model applied in nonclinical setting, loneliness encapsulates some characteristics related to ToM and PBiJW

12. Limitations Majority of the sample - young students
Limited demographic background
Bidirectional character of paranoid ideation – loneliness association (temporal order relevant to mediation)

13. Conclusion and implications
Reapply the model within clinical context
Loneliness important in terms of increased levels of ToM and PBiJW
Lonely males more susceptible to increased levels of ToM