Social context of anomalous experiences in daily life
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Experience Sample Method (ESM) study of self-stigma, social safeness, and anomalous experiences in daily life
IRAS ID
187341
Contact name
Charles Heriot-Maitland
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Many people describe having anomalous (‘unusual’) experiences, such as out-of-the-ordinary perceptions, hearing voices, or spiritual-type experiences that are somehow different to everyday life. This study is interested in investigating some of the social factors that influence these experiences, both in individuals in the general population who are not distressed by their experiences, and in those who have a psychotic disorder diagnosis. Identifying predictive and protective social factors can inform the approach of clinical services for people with anomalous experiences who are diagnosed with psychotic conditions. Specifically, this study will investigate the roles of ‘social-rank threat’ and ‘social safeness’ in relation to anomalous experiences. Social-rank threat is linked to experiences of stigmatisation and shame, while social safeness is linked to experiences of validation, connection, and affiliation.
Experience sampling methodology (ESM) will be used to test our predictions. This method assesses the variables of interest, moment-by-moment, as participants go about their daily life. For six consecutive days, participants will carry a smartphone with the ESM application installed. The device will be programmed to beep ten times per day to alert the participant to complete a short questionnaire about what is happening ‘right now’. This will include questions assessing mood, unusual experiences, dissociative experiences, social safeness, social threat, control questions (i.e. feeling tired), as well as current activity, location and company.
Twenty participants will be recruited for the clinical (C) group and twenty for the non-clinical (NC) group. Both groups will comprise of people reporting anomalous experiences while the C group is currently receiving care in NHS psychosis services and the NC group has no need for care.
The research will be testing whether fluctuating levels of social-rank threat in daily life predicts increases in anomalous experiences, and whether access to social safeness experiences is protective against these experiences and any associated distress.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/2205
Date of REC Opinion
22 Feb 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion