Weak central coherence theory

Question 1

Who developed wcc and why?

Answer 1

Frith due to criticisms of other cognitive theories

Question 2

What is central coherance?

Answer 2

Ability to derive overall meaning from a mass of details

Question 3

What can weak central coherence do?

Answer 3

Explain both deficits and strength

Question 4

What is global processing?

Answer 4

Processing a visual stimulus holistically, represents the larger overall image as a whole

Question 5

What is local processing?

Answer 5

Individual features that make up a whole, focussing attention on detail

Question 6

When would those with ASB be at a disadvantage?

Answer 6

When looking at a picture as a whole, extracting global meaning

Question 7

What did Frith say about weak central coherence?

Answer 7

Not just failure to extract global meaning but an outcome of superiority in local processing. (Bias)

Question 8

What does it mean that those with ASB care for the meaningless areas of a picture?

Answer 8

Completely different way of processing information

Question 9

What did Shah Frith find?

Answer 9

Shown a pattern and asked to reconstruct using block, 20 with ASB, 13 young with learning difficulties, 17 older typically developing young, 16 younger typically developing children, Found those with ASB did better, suggest preference for local processing, pattern then broken up into 4 parts, those with ASB did no better than others,

Question 10

What are the weakness?

Answer 10

Use biological explanations- 2.2% siblings risk (20x greater than non siblings)
Criticised for not explaining why those with ASB have low empathising skills, incomplete