Psychological Explanations: Cognitive

Question 1

Cognitive explanations focus on

Answer 1

The role of mental processes in schizophrenia

Question 2

Specifically the symptoms are said to result from

Answer 2

Dysfunctional thought processing

Ie sufferers process information in a different “abnormal way” compared to non sufferers

Question 3

Frith identified several kinds of dysfunctional thought processing that may explain some symptoms

Answer 3

may explain some symptoms

Question 4

Meta representation

Cognitive ability that allows us to have

Answer 4

Insight into our own intentions. A dysfunction impairs the ability to recognise ones thoughts as coming from oneself (external thoughts)

Auditory hallucinations
Delusions of control

Question 5

Central control

The cognitive ability to supress

Answer 5

Automatic responses so that one can perform deliberate ones instead
A dysfunction impairs ability to supress, speech can be triggered by other thoughts

Disorganised speech

Question 6

The supervisory attention system

Is a cognitive system that

Answer 6

Enables us to generate self initiated action
A dysfunction impairs ability to imitate goal directed action eg starting a conversation, bathing or doing some work

Negative symptoms
Avolition

Question 7

Supporting evidence for role of dysfunctional thought processing in positive symptoms from Allen

Answer 7

Compared schiz experiencing auditory hallucinations with a control group on a task that required them to listen to pre recorded speech and identify their own or that of others
Hallucination group made more errors than the control

Increases validity of cognitive explanations showing auditory hallucinations linked to dysfunction in meta representation

Question 8

Problems establishing causality

Answer 8

Can account for current symptoms but can’t explain origins of the condition ie what caused sufferers to develop dysfunctional thought processing in the first place

Evidence fails to establish cause and effect, unclear whether cognitive factors are the cause of the symptoms or whether dysfunctions are the results of having symptoms (underlying biological abnormalities)

Reduces validity of cognitive explanations, may not be the ultimate cause of disorder