Relationships Between Delusion-Like Experiences, Lack of Control, Pattern Perception, and Decision Making

Previous research has provided evidence for a relationship between illusory pattern perception and irrational beliefs. A common assumption is illusory pattern perception increases with an increasing feeling of lack of control. Delusion-like experiences include some of the behaviors related to irrational beliefs. Since no direct association between DLE and illusory pattern perception has been established, in this study we investigated the relationship between delusion-like experiences and illusory pattern perception for images with visual noise in a condition in which the participants were manipulated to lack control while controlling for another assumption which is jumping to conclusions bias on a bead task is predicted by delusion-like experiences. Results showed participants with delusion-like experiences produced more illusory pattern perception and false positive recognition for visually ambiguous stimuli. Participants who were manipulated to lack control produced more false positive recognition than the control group. A high level of delusion-like experiences predisposes vulnerability for increasing pattern seeking behavior under lack of control manipulation.