The paranoid and the schizophrenic: the case for distinct cognitive style

Abstract

The paranoid has traditionally been considered schizophrenic except for some rare cases which exhibit delusions but none of the other signs such as cognitive disorganization. We attempt to show that considering the paranoid as independent of schizophrenia and exhibiting varying degrees of pathology is more consistent with current research. Furthermore, we believe that there is enough description of the underlying cognitive process unique to the paranoid and distinct from the schizophrenic to warrant a separate inclusive category, and possibly the consideration of a particular personality, at least in terms of cognitive processes. We review the research in information processing and hemispheric functioning to demonstrate distinctive cognitive processing, and finally, we offer a higher order integration construct to explain the etiology of schizophrenia and paranoia in terms of thought processes.