The British Journal of Psychiatry 129: 32-35 (1976)
© 1976 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Problems in the interpretation of cognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia
DR Hemsley
This study compared matched groups of patients with acute schizophrenia and
with depression on three tests used in the assessment of schizophrenic
thinking disorder. Most measures derived from these tests significantly
differentiated the groups; however, within the schizophrenic group there
were no significant correlations between scores on the three tests. Further
data were available from a choice reaction-time card-sorting task, from
which estimates of distractability, stimulus decision time, response
decision time, and movement time, were obtained. Only one significant
relation was found between these measures and scores on the clinical tests.
The possible confounding effects of intelligence and responsiveness are
discussed. It is argued that more direct measures of the latter are
preferable to interpreting tests of thinking disorder in terms of
information processing deficits.