Ryan Balzan
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Research Fellow
My area of research is within the field of cognitive neuropsychiatry, which applies the knowledge base of cognitive psychology to the study of psychiatric symptoms, such as delusional beliefs. My research has focussed on the role that cognitive biases (i.e., problematic thinking styles) play in the development and maintenance of delusions, both in individuals with schizophrenia and in those identified as "delusion-prone" (i.e., people with mild delusional beliefs or tendencies).
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2012 - ongoing VRF School of Psychology University of Adelaide, Adelaide -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title University of Adelaide Australia PhD Flinders University, Adelaide Australia MPsych (Clinical) University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia BPsych (Hons) -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2023 Griffiths, O., Jack, B. N., Pearson, D., Elijah, R., Mifsud, N., Han, N., . . . Whitford, T. J. (2023). Disrupted auditory N1, theta power and coherence suppression to willed speech in people with schizophrenia. NeuroImage: Clinical, 37, 103290-1-103290-10.
2022 Balzan, R. P., Gilder, M., Nancarrow, T., Mavrangelos, T., & Wade, T. D. (2022). Hasty decision-making in individuals at higher risk of developing an eating disorder. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 75, 4 pages.
2022 Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (2022). Could autistic traits be a risk factor for conspiracy beliefs? An analysis of cognitive style and information seeking behavior. Minerva Psychiatry, 62(4), 231-240.
2022 Fouladirad, S., Chen, L. V., Roes, M., Chinchani, A., Percival, C., Khangura, J., . . . Woodward, T. S. (2022). Functional brain networks underlying probabilistic reasoning and delusions in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research - Neuroimaging, 323, 111472.
Scopus12022 Moritz, S., Menon, M., Balzan, R., & Woodward, T. S. (2022). Metacognitive training for psychosis (MCT): past, present, and future. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 1-7.
Scopus22022 Moritz, S., Göritz, A. S., Franz, C., Sibilis, A., Voßberger, H., Balzan, R., & Scheunemann, J. (2022). Whodunit – A novel video-based task for the measurement of jumping to conclusions in the schizophrenia spectrum. Psychiatry Research, 317, 114862.
2021 Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (2021). Conspiracy-Beliefs and Receptivity to Disconfirmatory Information: A Study Using the BADE Task. SAGE Open, 11(1), 1-9.
Scopus5 WoS62021 Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (2021). Autistic traits as a potential confounding factor in the relationship between schizotypy and conspiracy beliefs. COGNITIVE NEUROPSYCHIATRY, 26(4), 273-292.
Scopus3 WoS42021 Griffiths, O., & Balzan, R. (2021). Schizotypy is associated with difficulty maintaining multiple hypotheses. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 74(7), 1153-1163.
Scopus1 Europe PMC12021 Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (2021). Conspiracy Theory Beliefs, Scientific Reasoning, and the Analytical Thinking Paradox. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 35(6), 1523-1534.
Scopus8 WoS62020 Wong, K. T. G., Liu, D., Balzan, R., King, D., & Galletly, C. (2020). Smartphone and Internet Access and Utilization by People With Schizophrenia in South Australia: Quantitative Survey Study.. JMIR mental health, 7(1), e11551.
Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC52020 McLean, B. F., Mattiske, J. K., & Balzan, R. P. (2020). Jumping to conclusions in the less-delusion-prone? Preliminary evidence from a more reliable beads task. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 68, 5 pages.
Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC32020 Moritz, S., Scheunemann, J., Lüdtke, T., Westermann, S., Pfuhl, G., Balzan, R. P., & Andreou, C. (2020). Prolonged rather than hasty decision-making in schizophrenia using the box task. Must we rethink the jumping to conclusions account of paranoia?. Schizophrenia Research, 222, 202-208.
Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC62020 McLean, B. F., Balzan, R. P., & Mattiske, J. K. (2020). Jumping to conclusions in the less-delusion-prone? Further evidence from a more reliable beads task. Consciousness and Cognition, 83, 10 pages.
Scopus7 WoS8 Europe PMC42020 Cai, H. Q., Weickert, T. W., Catts, V. S., Balzan, R., Galletly, C., Liu, D., . . . Shannon Weickert, C. (2020). Altered levels of immune cell adhesion molecules are associated with memory impairment in schizophrenia and healthy controls. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 89, 200-208.
Scopus6 WoS22020 Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (2020). COVID-19-related conspiracy beliefs and their relationship with perceived stress and pre-existing conspiracy beliefs. Personality and Individual Differences, 166, 1-7.
Scopus142 WoS130 Europe PMC852020 Balzan, R. P., & Moritz, S. (2020). Cognitive biases and psychosis: From bench to bedside. Schizophrenia Research, 223, 368-369.
Scopus2 WoS22019 Weickert, C., Lee, C., Lenroot, R., Bruggemann, J., Galletly, C., Liu, D., . . . Weickert, T. (2019). Increased plasma Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) levels in females with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 209, 212-217.
Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC22019 Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (2019). Conspiracy beliefs in the general population: The importance of psychopathology, cognitive style and educational attainment. Personality and Individual Differences, 151, 7 pages.
Scopus36 WoS302019 Balzan, R. P., Mattiske, J. K., Delfabbro, P., Liu, D., & Galletly, C. (2019). Individualized Metacognitive Training (MCT+) Reduces Delusional Symptoms in Psychosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial.. Schizophrenia bulletin, 45(1), 27-36.
Scopus12 WoS12 Europe PMC42019 de Vos, C., Leanza, L., Mackintosh, A., Lüdtke, T., Balzan, R., Moritz, S., & Andreou, C. (2019). Investigation of sex differences in delusion-associated cognitive biases. Psychiatry Research, 272, 515-520.
Scopus6 WoS8 Europe PMC22019 Kindler, J., Lim, C. K., Weickert, C. S., Boerrigter, D., Galletly, C., Liu, D., . . . Weickert, T. W. (2019). Dysregulation of kynurenine metabolism is related to proinflammatory cytokines, attention, and prefrontal cortex volume in schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry, 43(11), 13 pages.
Scopus115 WoS108 Europe PMC542018 Balzan, R. P., Dhillon, V. S., Liu, D., Hahn, L., Fenech, M. F., & Galletly, C. (2018). Shorter telomere length in people with schizophrenia who live alone?. Schizophrenia Research, 199, 422-423.
Scopus4 WoS2 Europe PMC12018 McLean, B. F., Mattiske, J. K., & Balzan, R. P. (2018). Towards a reliable repeated-measures beads task for assessing the jumping to conclusions bias. Psychiatry Research, 265, 200-207.
Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC22018 Howe, J., Ross, R., McKay, R., & Balzan, R. P. (2018). How Do Delusion-Prone Individuals Respond to Disconfirmatory Evidence?: Improving Comprehension of the Beads Task May Help. Zeitschrift fur Psychologie / Journal of Psychology, 226(3), 182-190.
Scopus1 WoS12018 Jacomb, I., Stanton, C., Vasudevan, R., Powell, H., O'Donnell, M., Lenroot, R., . . . Weickert, T. (2018). C-Reactive protein: higher during acute psychotic episodes and related to cortical thickness in schizophrenia and healthy controls. Frontiers in Immunology, 9(OCT), 2230-1-2230-16.
Scopus48 WoS48 Europe PMC292018 Andreou, C., Balzan, R. P., Jelinek, L., & Moritz, S. (2018). Letter to the Editor: Metacognitive training and metacognitive therapy. A reply to Lora Capobianco and Adrian Wells. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 59, 162-163.
Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC22017 Moritz, S., Lüdtke, T., Pfuhl, G., Balzan, R., & Andreou, C. (2017). Liberal acceptance as a cognitive mechanism in psychosis: A 2-step-therory on the pathogenesis of positive symptoms in schizophrenia. Verhaltenstherapie, 27(2), 108-118.
Scopus3 WoS32017 Menon, M., Balzan, R. P., Harper, K., Kumar, D., Andersen, D., Moritz, S., & Woodward, T. S. (2017). Psychosocial approaches in the treatment of psychosis: Cognitive behavior therapy for psychosis (CBTp) and metacognitive training (MCT). Clinical Schizophrenia and Related Psychoses, 11(3), 156-163.
Scopus7 Europe PMC42017 Johnstone, K., Chen, J., & Balzan, R. (2017). An investigation into the jumping-to-conclusions bias in social anxiety. Consciousness and Cognition, 48, 55-65.
Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC12017 Balzan, R. P. (2017). Re: Can Cognitive Remediation improve subsequent response to low-intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Psychosis in people with schizophrenia?. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51(2), 190-191.
Scopus1 WoS12017 Balzan, R. P., & Moritz, S. (2017). Introduction to the special issue on cognition and delusions: What do we know, what do we guess, and what do we perhaps falsely believe?. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 56, 1-3.
Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC12017 Galletly, C., Dhillon, V. S., Liu, D., Balzan, R. P., Hahn, L. A., & Fenech, M. F. (2017). Shorter telomere length in people with schizophrenia: a preliminary study from Australia. Schizophrenia Research, 190, 46-51.
Scopus13 WoS11 Europe PMC62017 Broyd, A., Balzan, R. P., Woodward, T. S., & Allen, P. (2017). Dopamine, cognitive biases and assessment of certainty: A neurocognitive model of delusions. Clinical Psychology Review, 54, 96-106.
Scopus42 WoS39 Europe PMC192017 Moritz, S., Göritz, A. S., Balzan, R. P., Gawȩda, L., Kulagin, S. C., & Andreou, C. (2017). A new paradigm to measure probabilistic reasoning and a possible answer to the question why psychosis-prone individuals jump to conclusions. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 126(4), 406-415.
Scopus32 WoS31 Europe PMC112017 McLean, B., Mattiske, J., & Balzan, R. (2017). Association of the jumping to conclusions and evidence integration biases with delusions in psychosis: a detailed meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 43(2), 344-354.
Scopus134 WoS111 Europe PMC432017 Gawęda, Ł., Staszkiewicz, M., & Balzan, R. (2017). The relationship between cognitive biases and psychological dimensions of delusions: The importance of jumping to conclusions. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 56, 51-56.
Scopus11 WoS10 Europe PMC52017 Moritz, S., Pfuhl, G., Lüdtke, T., Menon, M., Balzan, R., & Andreou, C. (2017). A two-stage cognitive theory of the positive symptoms of psychosis. Highlighting the role of lowered decision thresholds. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 56, 12-20.
Scopus57 WoS51 Europe PMC212017 Balzan, R., Ephraums, R., Delfabbro, P., & Andreou, C. (2017). Beads task vs. box task: The specificity of the jumping to conclusions bias. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 56, 42-50.
Scopus20 WoS17 Europe PMC52016 Weinberg, D., Lenroot, R., Jacomb, I., Allen, K., Bruggemann, J., Wells, R., . . . Weickert, T. (2016). Cognitive subtypes in schizophrenia characterized by differential brain volumetric reductions and cognitive decline. JAMA Psychiatry, 73(12), 1251-1259.
Scopus64 WoS63 Europe PMC402016 Moritz, S., Balzan, R., Bohn, F., Veckenstedt, R., Kolbeck, K., Bierbrodt, J., & Dietrichkeit, M. (2016). Subjective versus objective cognition: Evidence for poor metacognitive monitoring in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, 178(1-3), 74-79.
Scopus32 WoS32 Europe PMC142016 Balzan, R., Woodward, T., Delfabbro, P., & Moritz, S. (2016). Overconfidence across the psychosis continuum: a calibration approach. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 21(6), 510-524.
Scopus13 WoS14 Europe PMC22016 Balzan, R. P. (2016). Overconfidence in psychosis: The foundation of delusional conviction?. Cogent Psychology, 3(1), 1135855.
Scopus292016 Moritz, S., Woodward, T. S., & Balzan, R. (2016). Is metacognitive training for psychosis effective?. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 16(2), 105-107.
WoS15 Europe PMC82016 Moritz, S., Werner, D., Menon, M., Balzan, R., & Woodward, T. (2016). Jumping to negative conclusions - A case of study-gathering bias?. Psychological Medicine, 46(1), 59-61.
Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC42015 Andreou, C., Schneider, B. C., Balzan, R., Luedecke, D., Roesch-Ely, D., & Moritz, S. (2015). Neurocognitive deficits are relevant for the jumping-to-conclusions bias, but not for delusions: A longitudinal study. Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, 2(1), 8-11.
Scopus15 Europe PMC62015 Lam, K., Ho, C., Wa, J., Chan, S., Yam, K., Yeung, O., . . . Balzan, R. (2015). Metacognitive training (MCT) for schizophrenia improves cognitive insight: A randomized controlled trial in a Chinese sample with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 64, 38-42.
Scopus43 WoS39 Europe PMC222015 Weickert, T., Weinberg, D., Lenroot, R., Catts, S., Wells, R., Vercammen, A., . . . Weickert, C. (2015). Adjunctive raloxifene treatment improves attention and memory in men and women with schizophrenia. Molecular Psychiatry, 20(6), 685-694.
Scopus94 WoS93 Europe PMC532015 Balzan, R., & Galletly, C. (2015). Metacognitive therapy (MCT+) in patients with psychosis not receiving antipsychotic medication: a case study. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 967-1-967-6.
Scopus13 WoS11 Europe PMC62015 Moritz, S., Mayer-Stassfurth, H., Endlich, L., Andreou, C., Ramdani, N., Petermann, F., & Balzan, R. (2015). The Benefits of Doubt: Cognitive Bias Correction Reduces Hasty Decision-Making in Schizophrenia. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 39(5), 627-635.
Scopus11 WoS112014 Moritz, S., Andreou, C., Schneider, B., Wittekind, C., Menon, M., Balzan, R., & Woodward, T. (2014). Sowing the seeds of doubt: a narrative review on metacognitive training in schizophrenia. Clinical Psychology Review, 34(4), 358-366.
Scopus210 WoS211 Europe PMC1162014 Sanford, N., Veckenstedt, R., Moritz, S., Balzan, R., & Woodward, T. (2014). Impaired integration of disambiguating evidence in delusional schizophrenia patients. Psychological Medicine, 44(13), 2729-2738.
Scopus53 WoS52 Europe PMC202014 Balzan, R. P., Neaves, A., Denson, L. A., Liu, D., & Galletly, C. (2014). Cognitive deficit awareness in schizophrenia: absent, intact, or somewhere in-between?. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 19(6), 471-484.
Scopus20 WoS20 Europe PMC142014 Balzan, R., Delfabbro, P., Galletly, C., & Woodward, T. (2014). Metacognitive training for patients with schizophrenia: preliminary evidence for a targeted, single module programme. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(12), 1126-1136.
Scopus50 WoS45 Europe PMC272013 Balzan, R., Delfabbro, P., Galletly, C., & Woodward, T. (2013). Illusory correlations and control across the psychosis continuum: the contribution of hypersalient evidence-hypothesis matches. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 201(4), 319-327.
Scopus21 WoS20 Europe PMC142013 Balzan, R., Delfabbro, P., Galletly, C., & Woodward, T. (2013). Confirmation biases across the psychosis continuum: The contribution of hypersalient evidence-hypothesis matches. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 52(1), 53-69.
Scopus48 WoS46 Europe PMC262012 Balzan, R., Delfabbro, P., Galletly, C., & Woodward, T. (2012). Reasoning heuristics across the psychosis continuum: the contribution of hypersalient evidence-hypothesis matches. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 17(5), 431-450.
Scopus27 WoS26 Europe PMC162012 Balzan, R., Delfabbro, P., Galletly, C., & Woodward, T. (2012). Over-adjustment or miscomprehension? A re-examination of the jumping to conclusions bias. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46(6), 532-540.
Scopus56 WoS57 Europe PMC322012 Balzan, R., Delfabbro, P., & Galletly, C. (2012). Delusion-proneness or miscomprehension? A re-examination of the jumping-to-conclusions bias. Australian Journal of Psychology, 64(2), 100-107.
Scopus17 WoS19- Georgiou, N., Delfabbro, P., & Balzan, R. (n.d.). The effectiveness of a scientific reasoning intervention for conspiracy theory beliefs. Applied Cognitive Psychology.
- Wong, K. T. G., Liu, D., Balzan, R., King, D., & Galletly, C. (n.d.). Smartphone and Internet Access and Utilization by People With Schizophrenia in South Australia: Quantitative Survey Study (Preprint).
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Book Chapters
Year Citation 2018 Balzan, R. P., Moritz, S., & Schneider, B. C. (2018). METACOGNITIVE TRAINING: Targeting cognitive biases. In CBT for Psychosis: Process-Orientated Therapies and the Third Wave (pp. 47-63). Routledge.
Scopus12014 Woodward, T., Balzan, R., Menon, M., & Moritz, S. (2014). Metacognitive Training and Therapy: An Individualized and Group Intervention for Psychosis. An Individualized and Group Intervention for Psychosis.. In P. H. Lysaker, G. Dimaggio, & M. Brune (Eds.), Social Cognition and Metacognition in Schizophrenia: Psychopathology and Treatment Approaches (pp. 179-193). Elsevier.
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2011 Balzan, R. P., Delfabbro, P. H., & Galletly, C. (2011). HOW HYPOTHESIS-CONFIRMING AND HYPOTHESIS-DISCONFIRMING INFORMATION IS TREATED ACROSS THE PSYCHOSIS CONTINUUM. In SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN Vol. 37 (pp. 237-238). Colorado Springs, CO: OXFORD UNIV PRESS. -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2017 Weickert, T., Kindler, J., Zavitsanou, K., Lim, C., Guillemin, G., Galletly, C., . . . Weickert, C. S. (2017). Dysregulation of Kynurenine Metabolism is Related to Proinflammatory Cytokines, Prefrontal Cortex Volume, and Attention in Schizophrenia. Poster session presented at the meeting of SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN. San Diego, CA: OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
WoS1
2013-2018
Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: Maximising the effectiveness of psychological treatment for delusions in schizophrenia: Combining metacognitive and cognitive-behavioural therapy. My role: CIA; Agency: Flinders University; $250,000; 3 years (FTE).
2018
Australia-Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme: Metacognitive training for patients with eating disorders. My role: CIA; Agency: Universities Australia-DAAD; $12,600; 1 year (FTE).
CCD Postdoctoral Exchange Scheme: Belief formation across the psychosis continuum. My role: CIA; Agency: ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders; $4,750; 1 year (FTE).
2017
Faculty Research Grant (FRG17) scheme: Combining metacognitive training and cognitive remediation for psychosis: A feasibility pilot study. My role: CIA; Agency: Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (Flinders University); $9,955; 1 year (FTE).
2012
Trevor Prescott Memorial Scholarship: Metacognitive therapy for psychosis. My role: CIA; Agency: Freemason Foundation; $17,000; 1 year (FTE).
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2022 Co-Supervisor Our research has investigated the role of socio-cognitive factors (i.e. scientific reasoning skills and cognitive tendencies), and psychopathological factors (i.e. schizotypal and autistic traits) in Conspiracy Theory Beliefs. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Neophytos Georgiou
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