| Summary: | 碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 臨床心理學系碩士班 === 106 === Research background:
Individuals with schizophrenia have impairment in social cognition and executive function. However, the pathological heterogeneity of schizophrenia is large which makes some differences between the performance of the social cognition and executive function, as well as the results of the past research. A conceptual model of social cognition in schizophrenia, the interpersonal interaction of patients is mainly based on social perceptions and theory of mind. Patients are less sensitive to perceived social messages and can not interpret social messages with theory of mind, resulting in poor social behavior. In the past, studying the symptoms and cognitive functions can predictor theory of mind, but some scholars believe that theory of mind and executive functions will be affected by intelligence. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine exclusion of intellectual performance or executive functions, schizophrenia symptoms can provide explanation for theory of mind.
Methodology:
Forty-nine participants recruited in this study who has been diagnosed as schizophrenia. They will be assessed for their ability of the social cognition (The Awareness of Social Inference Test - Minimal and Enriched), executive function (Verbal Fluency and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test-Modified) ,and intelligence performance (Digit Span, Matrix Reasoning, Symbol Search, and Information subtest in WISC-IV). Disease state is measured Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
Result:
Schizophrenia symptoms explained 41% of variance in theory of mind, and Intelligence performance explained 10% and the executive function explained 32%. When excluding the effects of intellectual performance, schizophrenia symptoms can be increased 10% of the variance in theory of mind; excluding the execution function, schizophrenia symptoms can be increased 3% of explanatory variance, with the number of classifications in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test being a significant predictor variable.
Conclusion:
The theory of mind can be explained by the severity of symptoms, intelligence, and executive function. Primarily affect theory of mind is execution function, symptoms are secondary, and intelligence is the last. In addition, when using the film-based theory of mind test, the test combine the ability about integration of a variety of social cues and reasoning other people's mind. Thus, participant needs to have high-level cognitive capabilities, let to making the execution function more important than the other ability.
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