Cognitive Explanation for Schizophrenia Flashcards
(16 cards)
What is the cognitive explanation for schizophrenia?
The disorder arises due to dysfunctional thought processing, especially in how individuals interpret and respond to their internal experiences.
What is Dysfunctional Meta-Representation?
It refers to a person’s inability to recognise that their thoughts and actions are self-generated.
Explains delusions of thought insertion, where individuals believe that external forces are placing thoughts in their mind.
What is Dysfunctional Central Control?
It is the inability to suppress automatic thoughts.
Explains disorganised speech, where individuals give irrelevant answers or rapidly switch topics due to uncontrolled associations between ideas.
What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia related to cognitive impairments?
They include delusions and disorganised thinking.
What is a strength of the cognitive explanation regarding empirical evidence?
Research supports the idea of impaired cognitive control in schizophrenia.
What evidence supports the cognitive explanation’s strength?
Schizophrenic patients take twice as long to complete the Stroop Test (e.g. naming ink colours while ignoring the written word).
Why is the supporting empirical evidence a strength?
Indicates difficulty suppressing automatic responses, supporting the theory of dysfunctional central control → adds credibility.
What is a strength of the cognitive explanation in terms of real-life applications?
It has practical value as it forms the basis for CBT for psychosis.
How does CBT relate to the cognitive explanation?
It helps patients challenge distorted beliefs and develop more rational thought patterns.
Why is the real-life application of CBT a strength?
Since CBT is effective, it implies the underlying theory (cognitive dysfunction) is valid → adds credibility.
What is a limitation regarding cause and effect in the cognitive explanation?
Cognitive dysfunction may be a consequence, not a cause of schizophrenia.
What does the limitation about cause and effect imply?
If it’s an effect, treatments like CBT may fail to target the root cause → questions credibility.
What is a limitation regarding the explanatory power of the cognitive model?
The cognitive model is more descriptive than explanatory.
What does the limitation about explanatory power suggest?
It describes how symptoms occur but does not explain why these cognitive dysfunctions develop.
What implication does the limitation about explanatory power have?
It suggests that biological or environmental factors may still be underlying causes.
Why is the limitation regarding explanatory power significant?
It limits its usefulness as a standalone explanation → questions credibility.
