Cognitive Approach

Question 1

What percentage of the population has experienced hallucinations?

Answer 1

4% without being diagnosed - Claiborn 2009

Question 2

What is the main premise of the cognitive approach in explaining schizophrenia?

Answer 2

Schizophrenia results from dysfunctional thought processing, leading to impaired perception, memory, and reasoning.

Question 3

How does the cognitive approach differ from biological explanations of schizophrenia?

Answer 3

While biological explanations focus on genetics and neurochemistry, the cognitive approach examines how faulty thought processes exacerbate symptoms.

Question 4

What cognitive dysfunctions are associated with schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Impaired executive function.
Deficits in attention.
Dysfunctional self-monitoring.
Problems with reality testing.

Question 5

How does cognitive dysfunction lead to hallucinations?

Answer 5

Faulty self-monitoring leads individuals to misattribute internally generated thoughts or speech to external sources, resulting in auditory hallucinations.

Question 6

How does the cognitive approach explain delusions?

Answer 6

Delusions arise from biased reasoning processes, such as jumping to conclusions or misinterpreting events as personally significant.

Question 7

What is “metarepresentation” and its role in schizophrenia?

Answer 7

Metarepresentation is the ability to reflect on one’s own thoughts and intentions. A dysfunction in metarepresentation can result in difficulties distinguishing self-generated actions from external influences, contributing to symptoms like thought insertion.

Question 8

How does dysfunctional central control explain disorganised speech?

Answer 8

Central control refers to the ability to suppress automatic thoughts. Impairment leads to derailment, where irrelevant associations disrupt coherent speech.

Question 9

What is the Frith Model of schizophrenia?

Answer 9

Chris Frith proposed that schizophrenia results from deficits in three types of cognitive processes:

Willed action: Difficulty initiating voluntary actions.
Self-monitoring: Misattribution of self-generated thoughts.
Monitoring others: Problems interpreting others’ intentions.

Question 10

How does Beck’s Cognitive Triad relate to schizophrenia?

Answer 10

Negative schemas about oneself, the world, and the future may underlie negative symptoms such as social withdrawal and apathy.

Question 11

What is the role of cognitive biases in schizophrenia?

Answer 11

Cognitive biases like jumping to conclusions and confirmation bias can lead to delusional thinking by reinforcing false beliefs.

Question 12

What evidence supports the role of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia?

Answer 12

Stirling et al. (2006): Found that individuals with schizophrenia performed worse on the Stroop Test, indicating impaired central control.
Bentall (1994): Showed that individuals with schizophrenia are more likely to attribute self-generated auditory stimuli to external sources, supporting self-monitoring deficits.

Question 13

What evidence links cognitive biases to delusions?

Answer 13

Garety et al. (2001): Found that individuals with schizophrenia are more likely to jump to conclusions, making rapid judgments without sufficient evidence.

Question 14

How does neuroimaging support the cognitive approach?

Answer 14

fMRI studies show abnormal activity in the prefrontal cortex (associated with executive function) and temporal lobes (associated with auditory processing) in individuals with schizophrenia.

Question 15

What are the strengths of the cognitive explanation for schizophrenia?

Answer 15

Complements biological explanations by addressing how neurobiological issues translate into symptoms.
Provides a basis for psychological treatments like CBT.
Explains the variability of symptoms between individuals.

Question 16

How does the cognitive approach inform treatment?

Answer 16

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets faulty thinking patterns, helping individuals challenge delusions and cope with hallucinations.

Question 17

What are the main criticisms of the cognitive approach in explaining schizophrenia?

Answer 17

It does not account for the origin of cognitive dysfunctions (e.g., genetic or neurochemical causes).
Limited in explaining the biological basis of schizophrenia, such as dopamine dysregulation.
Difficult to establish whether cognitive deficits are a cause or a consequence of schizophrenia.

Question 18

How does the cognitive approach struggle with causation?

Answer 18

Cognitive deficits may arise as a result of the disorder rather than being a primary cause.

Question 19

Why is the cognitive approach considered reductionist?

Answer 19

It focuses narrowly on thought processes, ignoring social, environmental, and biological factors.

Question 20

How is CBT used to treat schizophrenia?

Answer 20

CBT helps individuals identify and challenge irrational beliefs, reframe delusions, and develop coping strategies for hallucinations.
It also addresses negative symptoms by encouraging goal-setting and behavior activation.

Question 21

What evidence supports CBT as an effective treatment for schizophrenia?

Answer 21

Tarrier et al. (2004): Found that CBT significantly reduced positive symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia compared to standard care.

Question 22

How can understanding cognitive deficits improve patient care?

Answer 22

Tailored interventions can address specific cognitive impairments, such as memory training for working memory deficits.

Question 23

How does the cognitive approach complement the biological explanation?

Answer 23

It explains how biological abnormalities (e.g., dopamine dysregulation) lead to observable cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Question 24

How can the cognitive approach integrate with sociocultural explanations?

Answer 24

Social stressors (e.g., stigma or isolation) can exacerbate dysfunctional thought processes, highlighting the interaction between cognition and environment.

Question 25

How might cognitive deficits in schizophrenia be investigated experimentally?

Answer 25

Tasks like the Stroop Test to assess central control.
Memory tests to evaluate working memory impairments.
Attributional tasks to study self-monitoring biases.

Question 26

What ethical considerations are important when studying cognitive deficits in schizophrenia?

Answer 26

Avoiding distress during experimental tasks.
Ensuring informed consent, especially if participants have impaired cognitive function.