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Schizophrenics' responses to autonomous and experimenter-controlled conditions
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
|October 1, 1977
Summary
Schizophrenic patients exhibit slower reaction times, particularly chronic schizophrenics. Locus of control and autonomy did not significantly explain performance deficits in schizophrenic patients during a reaction time task.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychiatry
Background:
- Schizophrenia is associated with cognitive deficits, including impaired reaction times.
- Previous research suggests locus of control and environmental control may influence performance in individuals with schizophrenia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between reaction time, locus of control, and perceived maternal child-rearing attitudes in different groups of schizophrenic patients.
- To examine how varying degrees of autonomy and experimenter control affect task performance in hospitalized patients.
Main Methods:
- Administered a reaction time task with varying autonomy-control conditions to hospitalized VA patients.
- Assessed locus of control using Rotter's I-E scale and perceived maternal child-rearing attitudes via Schaefer's CRPBI.
Main Results:
- Chronic schizophrenics demonstrated significantly slower reaction times compared to acute schizophrenics (good and poor premorbid) and nonpsychotic groups.
- A trend suggested chronic schizophrenics performed better under experimenter control, while nonpsychotics preferred autonomy.
- Task performance variations did not differ in acute schizophrenics across autonomy-control conditions.
Conclusions:
- Autonomy and generalized locus of control do not appear to be primary factors explaining performance deficits in schizophrenic patients.
- Reaction time differences persist across schizophrenic subtypes and nonpsychotic controls, irrespective of control conditions.