Racial Disparities in the Expression of Paranoia

Part of paid clinical trials in Bloomington, Indiana.

Sponsor
Indiana University
Study ID
NCT07460453
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Paranoia
  • Psychotic Disorders

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • Guided Visual Imagery Task — BEHAVIORAL
    Participants complete an online, audio-guided visual imagery task designed to experimentally prime social experiences under standardized conditions. After brief instructions to imagine themselves actively participating in each scene, participants complete practice trials with neutral content and then are randomized to listen to one audio-recorded scenario matched to their assigned condition. Each trial includes a brief relaxation period, an instruction period, a guided imagery listening period, and a short recovery period. Scenarios are approximately 30 seconds and are delivered via headphones/speakers within the survey platform. Following the imagery task, participants complete post-task self-report assessments capturing current (state) experiences, including state paranoia and manipulation checks (e.g., imagery vividness and task engagement). The task is administered once in a single session.

Study Details

Paranoia is a pattern of thinking in which people feel suspicious or believe others may want to harm them. It can occur in many people, not only those with a mental health diagnosis, and it can affect daily life, relationships, and overall well-being. Research has consistently shown that Black Americans report higher levels of paranoia than White Americans, even when they do not have a clinical diagnosis. However, the reasons for this difference are not well understood. The goal of this study is to better understand why these differences exist. In the experimental part of the study, researchers will use a randomized design to test whether exposure to stressful experiences related to race leads to higher levels of paranoia among Black American participants. The study will also examine factors that may strengthen or weaken this effect, such as individual experiences and personal characteristics. By identifying how stressful experiences related to race influence paranoia, this research aims to improve how paranoia is measured and understood across different groups. These findings may help researchers and clinicians use more accurate and culturally appropriate tools to assess psychosis-related experiences in diverse populations.

Key Dates

Start date
Apr 13, 2026
Status verified
Apr 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2026
Completion
Jun 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
480 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE

Arms

  • Experimental: Blatant Race-Related Adverse Experience Imagery
    Participants are exposed to an audio-guided imagery scenario depicting a blatant race-related adverse experience. The guided imagery task instructs participants to vividly imagine a situation involving explicit racial hostility or discrimination. This intervention is designed to experimentally prime exposure to overt race-related social threat in a controlled setting.
  • Experimental: Subtle Race-Related Adverse Experience Imagery
    Participants are exposed to an audio-guided imagery scenario depicting a subtle race-related adverse experience, such as ambiguous or indirect racial bias. The guided imagery task instructs participants to imagine a situation involving covert or nuanced race-related social threat, consistent with commonly reported microaggressive experiences.
  • Placebo Comparator: Neutral Control Imagery
    Participants are exposed to an audio-guided imagery scenario depicting a neutral, non-threatening experience unrelated to race or social evaluation. This condition serves as a control for engagement with the guided imagery task without exposure to race-related adverse content.
  • Experimental: Social Exclusion Imagery
    Participants listen to an audio-guided imagery scenario depicting social exclusion (e.g., being left out or rejected in a social context) without reference to race and are instructed to vividly imagine the situation. This condition isolates the effect of social threat/exclusion from race-specific content.

Primary Outcome Measure

State Paranoia [ Time Frame: Immediately post-intervention (single session) ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesBloomingtonIndiana47405
William P Hetrick
[email protected]
8128552620
J Wolny
[email protected]
8128552620
J Wolny (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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By research site
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences· Bloomington, IN

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