Mediation analysis of the influence of media consumption and

paranoia on the wariness of meeting strangers

By: Group 19 for PSY2022

Introduction
Previous research conducted by the group has

focused on the wariness of meeting strangers

Method
In the process of collecting the data for the study, three scales
met online. This has led us to wonder what
were used to measure the three variables:
factors might influence that. After careful
The Wariness of Meeting Strangers scale (Fleetwood et
consideration, a mediation study of the
al., 2021)
correlation between the wariness of meeting
The revised Green et al., Paranoid Thoughts Scale (2019)
strangers (from here on, referred to as WMS),
The Content-based Media Exposure Scale (den Hamer et
media consumption, and levels of paranoia in an
al., 2017)
individual was suggested, based on the
The scales were incorporated into an online questionnaire
observations made by Harper (2019) and Berry
disseminated personally by the research group members.
(2018).
In total, there was 49 participants, mean age of 20.58 (SD:
It was hypothesised that paranoia would be a
2,6, min: 18, max:31), of which 35 (71.4%) self-identified as
mediator for the relationship between media
female, 8 (16.3%) as male, 5 (10.2%) as non-binary or
consumption and WMS; people who consume
genderqueer, and 1 N/A. No participants were removed from
high levels of media would show more WMS, and
the sample. Afterwards, mediation analysis was conducted, in
even more so, the more paranoid they are.
order to test the model, following the Baron and Keney (2016)
PARANOIA
method.

MEDIA
CONSUMPTION
WMS Results
Fig. 1 - the hypothesised mediation model After analysing the results, the following observations have

been made for the data obtained from the scales:

Discussion for the WMS scale - mean = 34.7551; SD = 7.9909

for the paranoia scale - mean = 13.1837; SD = 8.5261

The results obtained in the study clearly point to
for the media scale - mean = 32.2245; SD = 10.5104
the mediation model hypothesised as being
For the three relationships present in the hypothesised
inapplicable - the three variables do not interact
mediation model the following observations have been made:
in a way it would show. That stands in accord
the relationship tried for in a regression between WMS and
with the observations made by Berry (2018),
media consumption was found to be insignificant (R ² = 0.015; F
where the author found no significant
(1, 47) = 0.7, p = 0.407), with a similarly insignificant
relationship between the consumption of social
correlation (r(47) = -0.121, p = 0.407); the regression (R ² =
media and paranoia, however, given the
0.066; F (1, 47) = 3.301, p = 0.076) and the correlation (r(47) =
contrary findings of Richards (2015), more
-0.256, p = 0.076) between media consumption and paranoia
research might be needed to make statements
were both insignificant as well, and only the relationship
of certainty.
between paranoia and WMS (regression: (R ² = 0.163; F (1, 47) =
The most interesting aspect of the results would
9.177, p = 0.004), correlation: (r (47) = -0.404, p = 0.004))
be the inversely proportional relationship
proved to be significant, pointing to a decrease in obsereved
between WMS and paranoia, as it seems not
paranoia, proportional to the increas of WMS.
only counterintuitive but in clear disagreement

with the research in the field (Renton (2002),

Freeman (2008)). To explain this apparent

References
‐
Berry, N., Emsley, R., Lobban, F., & Bucci, S. (2018). Social media and its relationship with mood, self esteem and paranoia in psychosis.
paradox, farther research or replications of this
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 138(6), 558-570.

Harper, D. J., & Timmons, C. (2021). How is paranoia experienced in a student population? A qualitative study of students scoring highly
study ought to be completed. on a paranoia measure. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 94(1), 101-118.

Richards, D., Caldwell, P. H., & Go, H. (2015). Impact of social media on the health of children and young people. Journal of paediatrics

and child health, 51(12), 1152-1157.

Renton, J. (2014). Cognitive therapy for paranoia. In A casebook of cognitive therapy for psychosis (pp. 35-52). Routledge.

created at Freeman, D., & Freeman, J. (2008). Paranoia: The 21st century fear. Oxford University Press.

Freeman, D., Loe, B., Kingdon, D., Startup, H., Molodynski, A., Rosebrock, L., . . . Bird, J. (2021). The revised Green et al., Paranoid

Newcastle University, Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS): Psychometric properties, severity ranges, and clinical cut-offs. Psychological Medicine, 51(2), 244-253.

doi:10.1017/S0033291719003155

as part of PSY2022 Den Hamer, A. H., Konijn, E. A., Plaisier, X. S., Keijer, M. G., Krabbendam, L. C., & Bushman, B. J. (2017). The content-based media

exposure scale (C-ME): Development and validation. Computers in human behavior, 72, 549-557.

The scale used for the measurement of WMS was previously developed as part of the PSY2022 module as an unpublished manuscript,

referred to in text as Fleetwood et al., 2019