GENDER DIFFERENCES: PARANORMAL BELIEFS AND MALADAPTIVE EMOTIONAL SCHEMAS

Abstract

This study aimed to assess and compare the level of paranormal beliefs and maladaptive emotional schemas between both genders, males and females suffering from Functional Neurological Symptom disorder (FNSD). One hundred thirty-four patients (67 males & 67 females) between 14 years to 24 years having functional neurological symptoms disorder were approached through a purposive sampling strategy from the psychiatric wards of the government and private hospitals in Lahore. The questionnaires of RPBS (Tobacky, 2004) and LESS-II (Leahy, 2002) were applied to assess paranormal beliefs and maladaptive emotional schemas, respectively. The results of the Independent sample t-test show that female patients experience a significantly different paranormal witchcraft beliefs; t (132) = 18.15, p=.000, two-tailed, and superstitions beliefs; t (132) = 33.704, p=.000, two-tailed. The effect of Cohen (d =1.705) is higher and more in females than males. In addition, findings also show the statistically significant gender difference on emotional schemas of invalidation; t (132) = 2.25, p=.026, two-tailed, on a simplistic view of emotions; t (132) = 33.704, p=.000, two-tailed, on low expression; t (132) = 5.716, p=.000, two-tailed and on blame; t (132) = -2.372, p=.019, two-tailed. The effect size of Cohen (d =0.629) is medium, however, more in females than males. This study concluded that female FNSD patients need to be more focused on modifying their paranormal witchcraft and superstitious beliefs and maladaptive emotional schemas of invalidation, simplistic view of emotions, and blaming to control them than males. Therefore, males should be adjusted for the emotion of low expression, which could be done through emotional focus therapy.