WEAK CENTRAL COHERENCE THEORY

Question 1

CENTRAL COHERENCE: GLOBAL VS LOCAL PROCESSING

Answer 1

• local processing: analysing fine details and different elements that make up the task
• global: bigger picture and how these details all fit together
• uta frith suggested central coherence this is our ability to inter grate fine details into an overall pattern to understand how things come together
• eg convo will involve individual details strong central coherence means an individual will identify most relevant info and form a meaningful understanding in a couple days u will understand meaning but not all details
• this involves understanding context

Question 2

WEAK CENTRAL COHERENCE AND ASD

Answer 2

• ASD have weak central coherence Which involves impaired global processing but enhances local processing
• ASD are more likely to pay attention to details rather than broader context of task convo object or event
• ‘can’t see wood for trees’
• ASD likely to pick out a single item and focus on that when presented with a lot of information and exclude wider context
• local processing a deficit when comes to understanding big picture however can be advantage in tasks where picking out detail is important

Question 3

CONTINUUM

Answer 3

• Happe and frith say central coherence is cognitive style or preferable for one form of processing therefore is a continuum form extremes weak to strong and is normally distributed in gen pop
• small people have weak eg ASD and small have strong meaning they favour gist at expense of paying attention to and recalling details
• majority of pop is between