Self-monitoring dysfunction and the positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
Frith has proposed that symptoms of alien control in schizophrenia result from a defect in a metarepresentational process leading to a failure to properly monitor self-willed intentions and actions. To examine this hypothesis, a group of 40 schizophrenic patients, all meeting DSM-III-R criteria, and rated for current symptoms on the basis of a detailed clinical interview, were compared with 36 non-patient controls, using a battery of tests which included measures of self-monitoring, general cognitive function and attention. In comparison with controls, patients were impaired on two tests of self-monitoring. These differences were preserved when measures of current IQ, attention, and recognition memory were entered as covariates. Amongst patients, self-monitoring performance was related to the severity and extent of positive symptoms. These findings provide further experimental support for the proposal that positive symptoms of schizophrenia arise as a result of deficiencies in self-monitoring.
Stirling
J D
JD
Department of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. j.stirling@mmu.ac.uk
Hellewell
J S
JS
Ndlovu
D
D
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index