psych expl- cognitive explanations

Question 1

dysfunctional thinking definition

Answer 1

info processing that doesn’t represent reality accurately and produces undesirable consequences

Question 2

dysfunctional thinking

Answer 2

disruption to normal thought processing.
simon (2015)- reduced thought processing in ventral striatum associated with negative symptoms. reduced info processing in temporal and cingulate gyri associated with hallucinations.
lower-than-usual level of info processing suggests cognition likely to be impaired.
frith- identified 2 kinds of dysfunctional thought processes.

Question 3

metarepresentation dysfunction

frith (1992)

Answer 3

metarepresentation- cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts and behaviour. aware of own intentions and goals. interpret actions of others.

dysfunction- disrupts ability to recognise own actions and thoughts as being carried out by ourselves not someone else. explains hallucinations (hearing voices) and delusions (thought insertion).

Question 4

central control dysfunction

frith (1992)

Answer 4

cognitive ability to suppress automatic responses while we perform deliberate actions.

speech poverty and thought disorder could result from inability to suppress automatic thoughts and speech triggered by other thoughts. derailment of thoughts.

Question 5

strength

research support

Answer 5

stirling (2006) compared performance on range of cog tests in 30 schiz and 30 non-schiz control.
e.g. stroop task. have to read font-colours of colour words (suppress tendency to read words aloud).
as predicted by central control theory, schiz over twice as long on average to name font-colours.

shows cognitive processes of ppl with schiz impaired

Question 5

strength

research support

Answer 5

stirling (2006) compared performance on range of cog tests in 30 schiz and 30 non-schiz control. e.g. stroop task naming font-colours of colour-words (suppress tendency to read words aloud). schiz over twice as long on average.

supports schiz cog processes impaired.

Question 6

limitation

proximal explanation

Answer 6

proximal expls- explain what is happening now to produce symptoms
not distal expls- what initially caused condition
possible distil expls genetic and family dysfunction
unclear how genetic variation/childhood trauma may lead to issues with metarepresentation or central control.

cog theories alone only provide partial explanation for schiz