The insights we gain from delusions on the cognitive foundation of beliefs: An exploration.
Delusions and Beliefs: A Cognitive Model Explores Their Relationship
Delusions, fixed and often false beliefs, are a distinctive feature of certain mental health disorders. These beliefs, while strongly held, are typically not widely shared. Understanding delusions and their relation to more common beliefs can offer unique insights into the cognitive processes of belief formation and its dysfunction.
Researchers have proposed a five-stage cognitive model for belief formation. This model suggests that when presented with unexpected sensory input or social communication, individuals seek to explain the situation based on their existing beliefs, memories, and social information. This explanation must pass a two-part criteria: it must be consistent with prior beliefs and effectively account for experiences. Once accepted, the belief shapes attention and potentially further thoughts.
Delusions may arise at various stages in this model. This approach emphasizes the individual's search for meaning and the influence of social context in shaping delusions. It also sheds light on how a delusion, once formed, can impact subsequent perceptions and thinking. This model differs from previous accounts that viewed delusions as separate from beliefs or as a largely passive response to anomalous sensory input.
For example, some individuals suffering from the Capgras delusion, who believe a family member has been replaced by an impostor, may exhibit deficits in processing familiar faces. This could contribute to the formation of such a delusion. However, earlier accounts did not adequately consider other factors, such as the individual's prior beliefs, social context, and their personal attempts to explain their experiences.
Case studies have provided valuable insights into the origins and progression of clinical features not fully explained by existing theories. A recent case study presented the story of a woman who experienced compelling delusions during a brief hospital admission for postpartum psychosis. Postpartum psychosis is a rare complication of pregnancy, affecting around 1-2 in 1,000 women, marked by hallucinations, delusions, mood swings, and confusion.
The woman, named Natalie, had no prior medical or psychiatric history. She developed postpartum psychosis after the birth of her second child and reported several delusions, including the belief that strangers were her parents-in-law in disguise, known as Fregoli delusion. With treatment, Natalie recovered quickly, and her case offered a detailed look into the onset and experience of her delusions.
Notably, Natalie considered her delusions to be strongly held beliefs, contrary to some views that suggest delusions are different from normal beliefs. Natalie was able to identify specific aspects that contributed to her delusions, such as mannerisms, behaviors, and speech patterns of the strangers that reminded her of her parents-in-law.
This case highlights the active role of the individual in attempting to understand their experiences and bestow meaning, rather than just passively accepting beliefs in response to anomalous sensory data or neuropsychological deficits. This finding suggests that psychological therapies may be beneficial in treating certain cases of psychosis, in combination with other treatments.
More broadly, Natalie's account reveals shared characteristics between delusions and ordinary beliefs. It supports the view that delusions can be understood in terms of cognitive processes across the stages of normal belief formation, as outlined in the proposed model. Further study of delusions may offer valuable insights into the underpinnings of everyday beliefs and, in turn, our understanding of ourselves.
Sources:[1] The Conversation[2] PsychiatryAdvisor[3] Mind[4] Mayo Clinic[5] The Guardian
In light of the five-stage cognitive model for belief formation, it can be inferred that delusions, such as the Fregoli delusion experienced by Natalie, may arise at various stages in the process, highlighting the individual's search for meaning and the influence of social context in shaping such beliefs. Moreover, this case depicts a shared characteristic between delusions and ordinary beliefs, suggesting that delusions can be understood in terms of cognitive processes across the stages of normal belief formation.
