Chapter on Paranoia for Self-Published Book on Human Behavior
For this project I chose the behavior of paranoia. I chose this topic because I have experienced paranoia before and I know people in my life who have experienced it as well. During the time we worked on this project I learned a lot about this behavior and what causes it. I discovered the genetic, evolutionary and societal causes of this behavior. For tasks in this project we created images using photoshop, conducted empathy interviews with people who were involved with our behavior, and wrote chapters for a book we created. The final part of our project was to present our book at the UCSD Bookstore. During our exhibition at the bookstore I was an organizer in charge of making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be.
What I Learned
Genetics:
Genes linked to neurotransmitter pathways, specifically in the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, could be affected which then creates symptoms of paranoia. It’s also been found that there is a change in the coding for the dopamine 2 receptor.
Evolution:
Our ancestors lived in a higher risk environment. Those with paranoia had a better chance of survival because of their anxious behavior. Individuals with paranoia lived longer and had the capability to reproduce often.
Social Science:
A study shows that people who come from families with strict or “nonexistent” parents are more likely to be paranoid as adults. Paranoia causes people to distance themselves from others and it threatens the creation of social connections. One way to reduce paranoid thoughts is to talk with someone you deemed as trustworthy and evaluate the suspicions you might have to confirm if there is a valid reason to be paranoid.I think that because my work shows the causes of the behavior people might be more willing to accept those with paranoia in society.
Genes linked to neurotransmitter pathways, specifically in the serotonergic and dopaminergic systems, could be affected which then creates symptoms of paranoia. It’s also been found that there is a change in the coding for the dopamine 2 receptor.
Evolution:
Our ancestors lived in a higher risk environment. Those with paranoia had a better chance of survival because of their anxious behavior. Individuals with paranoia lived longer and had the capability to reproduce often.
Social Science:
A study shows that people who come from families with strict or “nonexistent” parents are more likely to be paranoid as adults. Paranoia causes people to distance themselves from others and it threatens the creation of social connections. One way to reduce paranoid thoughts is to talk with someone you deemed as trustworthy and evaluate the suspicions you might have to confirm if there is a valid reason to be paranoid.I think that because my work shows the causes of the behavior people might be more willing to accept those with paranoia in society.