Misattributions Models (I): Metacognitive Beliefs and Hallucinations

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Abstract

Morrison et al. (Behav Cogn Psychother 23(3):265–280, 1995) have ­proposed a cognitive model which assumes that hallucinatory experiences arise from the externalisation of intrusive thoughts. According to this account, this externalising process is driven by the cognitive dissonance resulting from the experience of uncontrollable intrusive mental events and maladaptive metacognitive beliefs about the importance of thought consistency and the need to control thoughts. Over the past 15 years, a number of empirical studies have examined the presumed association between hallucinations and metacognitive beliefs in the attempt to test the empirical predictions of this cognitive model. This chapter provides an up-to-date critical review of the studies in this area. Despite some positive findings (mostly from non-clinical studies), the available evidence suggests that the association between metacognitive beliefs and hallucinations is not a particularly robust, and may be confounded by comorbid symptom dimensions that frequently covary with hallucination-proneness in clinical and non-clinical samples. Conversely, recent studies have indicated that metacognitive beliefs, although not directly implicated in the genesis of hallucinatory experiences, may represent an important determinant of hallucination-related distress, therefore representing a potential target for intervention. These results are discussed in relation to their potential clinical significance and future research into the role played by metacognitive beliefs in different symptoms of psychopathology.

Keywords

Auditory Hallucination Intrusive Thought Psychotic Patient Negative Belief Comorbid Symptom 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Abbreviations

ARMS

At-risk mental states

CBT

Cognitive behaviour therapy

GAD

Generalised anxiety disorder

MCQ

Metacognitions Questionnaire

MCQ-30

30-Item version of the Metacognitions Questionnaire

MCQ-SAM

Metacognitions Questionnaire—Shortened and Modified

OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder

S-REF

Self-Regulatory Executive Function

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Division of Mental Health and Well-being, Institute of Psychology, Health and SocietyUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
  2. 2.Cognitive Psychopathology Unit, Department of Cognitive SciencesUniversity of LiègeLiegeBelgium

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