The dyadic effects of subclinical paranoia on relationship satisfaction in roommate relationships and college adjustment.

Abstract

Subclinical paranoia is associated with negative psychological and general health consequences including poorer social functioning. Despite extensive research on the outcomes of individuals with greater paranoia, the consequences of interacting with someone who is paranoid are less clear. As social functioning involves interactions between individuals, investigating associations between paranoia and relationship outcomes from a dyadic perspective may aid in elucidating the mechanisms underlying social dysfunction in subclinical paranoia. This study examined the trajectory of new roommate relationships over the course of the college semester. One hundred three same-sex roommate dyads were assessed on pathological personality traits at the beginning of the semester and on roommate relationship satisfaction and college adjustment at 2-week intervals. Individuals who were more paranoid reported lower satisfaction in their roommate relationship and poorer overall college adjustment. Importantly, individuals who lived with a more paranoid roommate also reported lower satisfaction in their roommate relationship. In contrast, elevated psychoticism, in either the individual or their roommate, was not associated with lower roommate relationship satisfaction. These findings demonstrate that the effects of subclinical paranoia extend beyond the paranoid individual to social partners as well. Further, poorer relationship satisfaction appears specifically related to paranoia and does not seem to be associated with increased psychoticism.