Bridging Trust and Paranoia: A Closer Look at Subclinical Phenomena

Abstract

Trust is the basic foundation for every human interaction. However, its dynamic relationship with paranoia has been studied, but the findings are conflicting, with some studies finding no connection between trust and paranoia. This study aims to extend the line of research in this area by analysing the relationship between trust in others and paranoia. The study used validated measures like the R-GPTS and trust scale to examine the incidences of distrust and paranoia and the correlation between them in a sample of 100 participants from the sub-clinical population collected randomly. The study came up with pieces of evidence showing the prevalence of distrust in others and elevated levels of paranoid ideation in the sample population. Also, there was no statistical evidence to support significant gender differences in both trust and paranoia. The empirical data concludes that trust shows an inverse relationship with paranoia.