cognitive explanation of SZ

• what is a cognitive explanation? explanations that focus on mental processes such as thinking language and attention
• how does the cognitive explanation explain SZ? "sees maladaptive thoughts as being responsible for SZ occur due to ABNORMALITIES in brain functioning leads to disruption of normal thought processingleads to positive and negative symptoms of SZ "
• what brain abnormality leads to negative symptoms of SZ? "negative- avolition (lack of goal motivated behaviour) linked to reduced functioning in VENTRAL STRIATUM this area is linked to motivation- disrupted in SZ "
• what brain abnormality leads to positive symptoms? "hallucinations and delusions linked to reduced functioning in TEMPORAL AND CINGULATE gyrusthese areas infulence speech "
• what percentage of schizophrenics are believed to have a cognitive impairment? "present in 75%according to O' Carroll reviewed available evidence and found impairment in memory attention motor skills executive function and intelligence impairments PRE-DATE ONSET of illness so abnormal functioning is CAUSE "
• what are dysfunctional thought processes defined as? "information processing that does not represent reality ACCURATELY and produces UNDESIRABLE CONSEQUENCES "
• what are the two dysfunctional mental processes in SZ? metarepresentationcentral control
• what is metarepresentation as a thought process? "cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts and behaviour have insight into our own intentions and goals allows us to interpret the actions of others "
• how does metarepresentation becoming dysfunctional lead to SZ? "disrupt our ability to recognise our own actions and thoughts as by being carried out by ourselves rather than someone elseexplain HALLUCINATIONS auditory and delusions like thought insertion (having thoughts projected in mind by others)- aliens "
• what is central control as a cogntive process? cognitive ability to suppress (overpower) automatic responses while we preform deliberate actions instead STROOP TEST is example of how this occurs
• how does central control's dysfunction lead to SZ? "unable to stop automatic thoughtsexplain why sufferers have disorganised speech and thought process disordersas they are unable to stop the words and concepts triggering other associations"
• what evidence can be used to support metarepresentation and central control leading to SZ? metarepresentation- Knoblich et al central control- Stirling et al
• what were ppts doing during the knoblich research? "schizophrenics and non-schizophrenics had to draw a circle on a pad connected to a PC monitor only allowed to look at screensometimes they were in control of drawing and sometimes computer was"
• what was measured in the Knoblich study? "asked to identify when they were generators of the movement and when the computer was"
• what was found in the knoblich study? "non schizophrenics could identify when they were generating the movement but SZ could not schizophrenics impaired in their ability to recognise when they were self-generating a movement "
• what can be concluded from the knoblich study? "supports cognitive theory- metarepresentation (dysfunction) shows they cannot self-monitor and thus have limited awareness of their own thoughts + how this effects behaviour "
• what did stirling's research reveal about the cognitive process of central control? "compared 30 schizophrenics and 30 non-schizophrenics on the Stroop test when ppts are given words decribing colours but text us written in a different colour ppts had to name the ink colour of the listed colour and the researcher recorded how long this took results- shcizophrenics took TWICE AS LONG to do this as they were unable to suppress the automatic impulse to read the words Mean number of seconds to identify ink colour- SZ= 123 Control= 58Cognitive processes of people with SZ are impaired "
• what is one weakness of the cognitive explanation since it only explains the proximal origins of symptoms? "p- only explains the proximal origins of symptomse- Cognitive are proximal because they explain what is happening NOW to produce symptoms- as distnict on distal explantions which focus on what initally caused the condition.e- ditsal- genetic or family dysfunction some things aren't adress like how these two distal infulences affect development of dysfunctional thought processesl- only provide a partial explanation for SZ- INVALID NO CAUSE AND EFFECT "
• what is one strength of the cognitive since it has application? p- practical aplication to therapiese- metarepresentation dysfunction can easily be identified by therapists and challenged this abnormality can be challenged. Target specific areas of metacognitive impairment. l- useful and benefitial to reduce symptoms of delusions and hallucinations
• what is a strength of the cognitive explanation since it can account for all symptoms? p- can explain both types of symptomse- can be explained by the theory like ventral starium leading to negative symptoms like avolition and the temporal + cingrate gyrus leading to positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions l- valid as a theory not simplistic
• what is one strength of the cognitive explanation since it links the biological and psychological explanations together? "p- links the biological and psychological explanations togethere- Garerty et al best understood through combination dysfunctional thoughts are integral and vital part in this linkl- can be used in the diathesis stress model where dysfunctional thoughts are the stressors "