Project description
Factors distinguishing delusional thinking from ideological belief
The socio-psychological mechanisms that distinguish clinical delusions from strongly held political or religious beliefs remain poorly understood as these belief systems have many characteristics in common. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the IN-MIND project aims to identify factors that differentiate delusional thinking from ideological belief. It will use psychometric tools and statistical analyses to assess strong or weak ideological systems in a large UK sample and compare outcomes to a clinical sample with delusions. This will shed light on how the transmissibility of each belief system – how ‘contagious’ information is regardless of whether it is factual. Findings could improve diagnoses and therapies and guide policies tackling polarisation and extremism.
Objective
IN-MIND is a pioneering project that addresses the challenge of distinguishing between delusions and strongly held beliefs, such as religious and political ideologies, which, while not pathological, can still manifest in disruptive ways. This distinction has long posed difficulties for researchers and mental health professionals due to overlapping characteristics among these belief systems. To overcome this, IN-MIND will systematically compare delusions with political and religious beliefs across key dimensions traditionally used to define delusions. The project will integrate advanced methodologies from clinical and social psychology to identify the socio-psychological mechanisms that differentiate these belief systems. A large, representative sample from the UK will be recruited and assessed online, utilising validated psychometric tools and statistical techniques such as network analysis to compare belief structures. IN-MIND will also explore how mechanisms of belief transmissibility, social identity, and belief alignment differentiate delusional beliefs, which tend to be non-shared, from political and religious beliefs, which are widely propagated. Thus, participants with strong or weak ideological systems will be compared with a clinical sample with delusions to determine the transmissibility of each belief system. This research will provide new insights into these belief systems, targeting the mechanisms that distinguish delusions from strongly held beliefs, aiding mental health professionals in diagnosis and laying the foundation for innovative interventions. By investigating how ideologies are highly transmissible, the project will also provide crucial insights for shaping future policies, including those aimed at countering polarisation and extremism. Through a non-academic placement at the European Public Health Alliance, the fellow will gain interdisciplinary training to translate research results into impactful public health policies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
S10 2TN SHEFFIELD
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.