Psychological Explanations of Schizophrenia - Cognitive Explanations

Question 1

Outline cognitive explanations of SZ

Answer 1

• Focus on mental processes, such as thinking and attention. SZ is characterised by severe thought processes
• Disturbed thought processes could be the cause rather than a symptom of SZ

Question 2

Outline dysfunctional thought processes

Answer 2

• Lower levels of information processes in some parts of the brain suggests cognitions is impaired
• e.g. reduced processing in the ventral striatum is associated with negative symptoms - poverty of speech
• Reduced processing the temporal and cingulate gyri are linked to hallucinations

Question 3

What are the two kinds of dysfunctional thought processing?

Answer 3

Frith et al identified 2 kinds of dysfunctional thought processing that could underlie some symptoms of SZ: ‘metarepresentation’ and lack of central control

Question 4

Describe ‘metarepresentation’ as part of the cognitive explanation

Answer 4

• It’s the cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts and behaviour, allowing insight into our own goals and to interpret the actions of others
• Dysfunction in metarepresentation would disrupt our ability to recognise our own actions and thoughts as being carried out by ourselves, which explains hallucinations of voices and delusions, like thought insertion

Question 5

Describe lack of central control as part of the cognitive explanation

Answer 5

• Central control is the cognitive ability to suppress automatic response while we perform deliberate actions. Speech poverty and thought disorder may stem from the ability to suppress automatic thoughts and speech triggered by other thoughts
• e.g. those with SZ tend to experience derailment of thoughts as each word tiggers associations, and they can’t suppress automatic responses to these.

Question 6

Give evaluation for the cognitive explanation (research support)

Answer 6

• Stirling et al tested the idea that SZ patients have faulty information processing skills, and had 30 patients undertake a range of cognitive tasks, including the Stroop test
• They found that patients took twice as long to do the Stroop test and other cognitive tasks compared to the control group.
• Shows they can’t suppress automatic response, as they had the impulse to say the word not the colour and then took longer in the Stroop test suggesting a lack of central control.

Question 7

Give evaluation for the cognitive explanation (Claim that symptoms of SZ originate in faulty cognition is reinforced by the success of CBTp)

Answer 7

• The effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) was shown in the NICE review of treatments for SZ.
• They found consistent evidence that, when compared to antipsychotics, CBTp was more effective in reduced symptom severity and improving levels social functioning
• Supports the view that faulty cognition has an important causal influenced the development of SZ

Question 8

Give evaluation for the cognitive explanation (cognitive explanation is a partial explanation)

Answer 8

• It deals with 1 aspect of SZ (cognitive impairment) but fails to explain other factors (social adversity)
• Howes and Murray addressed this with an integrated model of SZ, where early vulnerability factors (genes) and exposure to social stressors (social adversity) sensitises the dopamine systems. So, biased cognitive processing of the increased dopamine activity results in paranoia and then SZ
• This model better fits with recent research that shows exposure to social stresses is associated with an increased in risk of developing SZ