Social cognition and neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
While research equivocally supports a relationship between social cognition and neurocognition, it is less clear whether social cognition is related to general cognitive functioning or whether specific aspects of social cognition are linked with specific forms of neurocognition. Thus, this study sought to investigate the relationships between various domains of neurocognition and two forms of social cognition, social cue recognition and social problem solving, for 40 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Step-wise multiple regressions found that performance on neurocognitive tests was able to predict 47% and 38% of the variance on measures of the ability to recognize actual and suggested social cues, respectively, and 13% of participants' ability to problem solve in ambiguous social situations. Once estimated intelligence and hospitalization history were controlled, however, neurocognition no longer significantly predicted social problem solving. Executive functioning was uniquely related to each type of social cue recognition, while memory predicted only the recognition of concrete social cues.
Lancaster
Rebecca S
RS
Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, USA.
Evans
Jovier D
JD
Bond
Gary R
GR
Lysaker
Paul H
PH
D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011340:Problem Solving; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior