Psychological explanation for schizophrenia- cognitive explanations

Question 1

What does cognitive explanations focus on?

Answer 1

The Idea that people with sz have dysfunctional thought processing

Question 2

What are the 2 specific types of dysfunctional thought processes in Sz (frith)

Answer 2

• meta-representation
• central control

Question 3

What is meta representation? A01
How does this relate to sz?

Answer 3

-ability to reflect on own thoughts and behaviour
-can understand intention and motivation behind own actions

-in sz process is faulty so cannot recognise actions and thoughts as their own
E.g. positive symptom- thought insertion

Question 4

What is central control A01
How does this relate to Sz?

Answer 4

-ability to suppress and not immediately act upon impulses while trying to focus on something else
- automatic thoughts become intrusive

• people with sz tend to experience derailment of thoughts
  E.g. negative symptom- speech poverty

Question 5

Research support from Simon et al- A01

Answer 5

-found evidence cognition is likely to be impaired in patients with sz.
- have lower level of information processing
E.g.
- reduced thought in ventral striatum- negative symptoms
-reduced processing information in temporal and cingulate gyri- positive symptoms (hallucinations)

Question 6

A03- strengths

Answer 6

• research support from Sarin and wallin- evidence that positive symptoms linked with faulty cognition
  
  • eg. Delusional patients jumping to conclusions
• Sz symptoms of their origin in faulty cognition is reinforced by success of CBT
  - CBT more effective in reducing symptom severity and improving levels of social functioning

Question 7

A03- weakness

Answer 7

• reductionist, doesn’t explain other factors
  -ignores neurochemical changes etc
  - not as holistic as other explanations

-theories lack cause and effect: what led to cognitive dysfunctions?
-only partial explanation