Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
08:35
An Operant Intra-/Extra-dimensional Set-shift Task for Mice
Published on: January 22, 2016
Switch and maintenance of task set in schizophrenia
Paul D Kieffaber1, Emily S Kappenman, Misty Bodkins
1Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47404, USA.
Schizophrenia Research
|March 28, 2006
Summary
Schizophrenia involves deficits in maintaining and switching cognitive sets. This study found set maintenance issues stem from attentional problems, while switching abilities are preserved, suggesting distinct cognitive impairments.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Neuropsychology
Background:
- Task set maintenance and switching deficits are well-documented in schizophrenia.
- Understanding the underlying elementary cognitive processes is crucial for improving treatment.
- A proposed dichotomy distinguishes attentional (perceptual) from intentional (decisional) processes in task control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between set maintenance and switching deficits in schizophrenia.
- To determine whether attentional or intentional processes underlie these deficits.
- To differentiate cognitive mechanisms contributing to task control impairments in schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- A cued attentional set switching task was administered to 30 participants with schizophrenia and 27 healthy controls.
- Response times were analyzed using standard methods and ex-Gaussian distributional analysis.
- This approach estimated the contributions of attentional and intentional processes to performance.
Main Results:
- Schizophrenia was associated with a set maintenance deficit, specifically linked to attentional dysfunction.
- Both groups exhibited switch costs attributable to attentional processes.
- No evidence of an attentional set switching deficit was found in the schizophrenia group.
Conclusions:
- Set maintenance and set switching deficits in schizophrenia may involve distinct cognitive impairments.
- Attentional dysfunction appears to underlie set maintenance deficits in schizophrenia.
- These findings highlight unique information processing mechanisms associated with specific cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest with various positive symptoms, including thought, movement, and behavior disorders. These symptoms significantly disrupt cognitive and motor functions, leading to profound effects on an individual's ability to engage with the world.
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...
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...
01:42Schemas
A schema is a mental construct consisting of a cluster or collection of related concepts (Bartlett, 1932). There are many different types of schemata, and they all have one thing in common: schemata are a method of organizing information that allows the brain to work more efficiently. When a schema is activated, the brain makes immediate assumptions about the person or object being observed.
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
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,...
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,...