Paranoid-nonparanoid schizophrenic distinctions in implementing external conceptual constraints.
Using procedures originated by Bruner et al. (Bruner, J. S., Goodnow, J. J., and Austin, G. A Study of Thinking. John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1956), paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenics and nonpatients were compared on performance in identifying rules for organizing multidimensional items. Successive item selections were accompanied by feedback as to whether or not each corresponded to the rule currently in effect (either conjunctive, inclusive-disjunctive, or biconditional). The most pronounced aspects of deficit associated with paranoid status were related to performance latency. Examination of results in the light of component operations underlying the present task indicated that paranoids' lower performance stemmed from difficulties in initially translating stimulus properties into a task-facilitative format. Findings were related to earlier paranoid distinctives in (choice) reaction time latencies, as well as to earlier findings on rule definition learning involving procedures closely related to the present ones. As well, inferences were drawn as to conditions of rule acquisition where differential latency aspects of performance are likely to be most pronounced among paranoids.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003210:Concept Formation; D003657:Decision Making; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000523:psychology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013850:Thinking