Dysfunctional Thought Processing - Cognitive Explanations

Question 1

What are cognitive deficits?

Answer 1

-There is evidence that people diagnosed as schizophrenic have difficulties in processing
some information
- Research has shown their attention skills aren’t good and they may look distracted
-A number of researchers have suggested that difficulties in understanding other people’s
behaviour might explain some of the experiences of those diagnosed as schizophrenic, e.g difficulty understanding body language

-

Question 2

What are cognitive biases?

Answer 2

Cognitive Biases refer to selective attention. The idea of cognitive biases has been used to explain some of the behaviours which have been traditionally regarded as ‘symptoms’ of ‘schizophrenia’.

Question 3

What are the cognitive decifits Frith et al identified?

Answer 3

-Metarepresentation: cognitive dysfunction in metarepresentation can disrupt our ability to recognise our own actions and thoughts as being carried out by ourselves
rather than someone else. This would explain hallucinations of voices and delusions.

• Central control: the cognitive ability to suppress automatic responses. Disorganised
  speech and thought disorder could result from the inability to suppress automatic
  thoughts and speech triggered by other thoughts.

Question 4

A03 - Correlation study search

Answer 4

• Meyer-Lindenberg et al (2002). - They found that a shortage of dopamine in the prefrontal
  cortex correlated with a reduction in a person’s attentional processes, and this neural dysfunction was more prevalent in people with SZ. This research supports the theory that SZ symptoms can have a physiological and cognitive basis.
• However, we must be cautious when forming a theory based on correlational data, as this methodology indicates a link and cannot establish cause and effect,

Question 5

A03 - Practical application of the explanation

Answer 5

• A strength of the cognitive explanation is that it has practical applications.
• Yellowless et al. (2002) developed a machine that produced virtual hallucinations, such as hearing the
  television telling you to kill yourself or one person’s face morphing into another’s.
• The intention is to show schizophrenics that their hallucinations are not real.
  -This suggests that
  understanding the effects of cognitive deficits allows psychologists to create new initiatives for schizophrenics and improve the quality of their lives.

-However, due to the diverse nature of the symptoms of SZ, it is unlikely that one cognitive treatment approach will be suitable for all sz sufferers questioning the applicability of this explanation for all people.

Question 6

A03 - Reductionist

Answer 6

• fails to explain other key factors such as genetic differences, neurochemical changes and life stressors. -
  -Howes and Murray (2014)
  addressed this problem with an integrated model of schizophrenia.
  -They argue that early vulnerability factors (e.g. genes, birth complications, etc.), together with exposure to
  significant social stressors (e.g. social adversity), sensitises the dopamine system, causing it
  to increase the release of dopamine.
• Hence, cognitive explanations of schizophrenia are important but are not comprehensive in their explanations of the symptoms.
  -Maybe an integrated approach addressing the whole person would be more comprehensive.