Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
'Theory of mind' in violent and nonviolent patients with paranoid schizophrenia
Ahmad Abu-Akel1, Khalid Abushua'leh
1abuakel@hotmail.com
Abstract:
The role of mentalizing abilities (or theory of mind) and empathic abilities in violent behavior were studied in 24 hospitalized males with paranoid schizophrenia (ICD-10). Patients were divided into violent and nonviolent groups based on their history of committing violent acts against others. To examine these abilities, patients heard a series of 12 short scenarios depicting social situations followed by questions that require making mental state or empathic inferencing. Our results show that violent patients have more difficulties than nonviolent patients in tasks involving empathic inferencing, and better abilities in inferring cognitive-mental states in others. In addition, violence seems to be associated with a history of alcohol and drug abuse, young age, and the hostility component of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Logistic regression analyses suggest that violence is associated with the combination of hostility towards others, good mentalizing abilities and poor empathy. These results are discussed in light of recent theories on violent behavior in psychiatric populations.
Related Concept Videos
Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Positive Symptoms Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Hallucinations
Hallucinations in...
Personality Disorders: Paranoid and Schizoid
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
