Are delusions adaptive?

Lancellotta, Eugenia (2022). Are delusions adaptive? University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

This thesis explores whether delusions are adaptive in the course of six papers. In Paper 1, I review the main philosophical and psychological literature on delusions, concluding that delusions are usually defined as beliefs characterized by high degrees of conviction, low levels of insight and that are not shared by same culture peers. In Paper 2, I review the main literature on the adaptiveness of delusions, delineating the promises and challenges of such literature. In Paper 3, I investigate whether one of the main theories of delusion formation and maintenance - the two-factor theory- is compatible with two contrasting claims: the first, that delusions are pathological, and the second, that delusions are adaptive. In Paper 4, I motivate the need for empirical research to ascertain whether delusions are adaptive. I do so by criticising Fineberg and Corlett’s influential predictive coding model of biological adaptiveness of delusions. In Paper 5, I apply a novel empirical methodology to a sample of four people suffering from delusional beliefs and OCD, in the attempt to answer the question: can delusions be adaptive? Finally, in Paper 6, I explore the impact of egodystonicity on perceptions of free will and recovery from OCD.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):