Psychological Explanations: Cognitive Explanations (dysfunctional Thinking) Flashcards
What is egocentric bias?
Degree to which individuals perceive themselves as central in events.
It can lead to delusions such as persecution or grandeur.
How does egocentric bias relate to delusions?
It can lead to delusions of persecution and grandeur.
These delusions arise from dysfunctional thinking.
What is a cognitive bias?
Interaction of history schemas that can lead to delusions through dysfunctional thinking.
This involves rational thoughts that are disrupted.
What are the symptoms associated with schizophrenia mentioned?
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech.
These symptoms stem from cognitive biases and dysfunctional schemas.
What role do cognitive explanations play in understanding schizophrenia?
They lead to delusions due to dysfunctional thought processes.
Misunderstandings in thinking can manifest as particular symptoms.
What is the significance of central control in cognitive explanations?
It involves controlling impulsive behaviours thoughts.
Lack of impulse control can contribute to the symptoms of schizophrenia e.g. delusions of reality: persecution
What are auditory hallucinations?
Perceived sounds that are not present in reality.
They can be a significant symptom of schizophrenia.
What does the term ‘disorganized speech’ refer to?
A symptom characterized by incoherent or nonsensical speech patterns.
It is often described as ‘word salad’.
Fill in the blank: Cognitive explanations can lead to delusions of _______.
persecution.
This is a common theme in the cognitive understanding of schizophrenia.
Meta representation
Understanding our own thinking
SZs can’t separate thoughts which lead to auditory hallucinations
Cognitive explanations for sz
Sz due to dysfunctional thought processes (misunderstanding) due to negative schemas often resulting in positive symptoms (D+H)
Firth
Central control and meta representation
Sarin and Wallin: support for the cognitive model
Claim positive symptoms origin from faulty cognition. Found patients with delusions had various biases in information process and those with (auditory) hallucinations had impaired self monitoring explaining why experienced own thoughts as voices (MR)
Dysfunction thinking explanation
This suggests that sz is due to a misunderstanding/interpretation of thoughts leading to negative schemas (of environment, self etc) which creates positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. This may be through deficits in a person central control where they can’t control impulsive behaviours and thoughts. This then leads to people experiencing irrational thoughts as well as lacking impulse control creating positive symptoms such as disorganised speech. Another way, maybe through how dysfunctional thinking affect a person’s egocentric bias (the thoughts of being the essential component in events). A strong egocentric bias can lead to positive symptoms of sz including delusions of persecution and grandeur.
AO3 Strength (dysfunctional thinking)
P- Supporting research stems from faulty cognition (dysfunctional thinking)
E- Sporting evidence from Sarin and Wallin claims that positive symptoms of sz origins from faulty cognition. They found that patients experiencing delusions had various biases and information processing, and those experiencing hallucinations (auditory), had impaired self monitoring and experience their thoughts as voices. This supports that someone’s faulty cognition (thoughts) affects the likelihood of the developing symptoms for sz. This therefore suggests the cognitive explanation can be seen to accurately explain symptoms of sz and why they occur
