D104

Suspiciousness

BD07 Empathy & Prosociality
Derived LayerMML-2

Version v1.2.4

Definition

A tendency to infer hidden, harmful intent and interpret ambiguous actions as potentially hostile or exploitative.

Poles

Each HES element is a spectrum, not a category: the Low and High poles describe how it presents at its two extremes, while the Reference marks the typical, everyday middle. The poles map variation across the range — neither end is inherently better or worse.

Low Pole

Defaults to neutral interpretations until evidence accumulates.

High Pole

Frequently reads bad intent; builds defensive narratives quickly.

Reference

Spikes in competitive, status, or control-loss contexts.

Measure

Primary: Bias — proportion of ambiguous cues interpreted as threat/hostility relative to normative baselines.

Measuring Methods

Ambiguity test battery → interpretation choices → comparison with factual outcomes or expert consensus.

Empirical Anchor

Suspiciousness / paranoid ideation — subclinical (Fenigstein & Vanable, 1992); interpersonal suspicion; hostile attribution bias (Dodge, 1980).

Notes

Related to cynicism, but cynicism is a broad worldview; suspiciousness is a local interpretive bias.

Citation

APA

Human Elements System. (2026). Suspiciousness (HES Passport D104, v1.2.4). hestable.com. https://hestable.com/passport/D104

BibTeX

@misc{hes_D104, author = {{Human Elements System}}, title = {{Suspiciousness}}, year = {2026}, note = {HES Passport D104, v1.2.4}, howpublished = {\url{https://hestable.com/passport/D104}} }