UNDERSTANDING SCHIZOPHRENIA, UNIFYING THE PHENOMENOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES APPROACHES

Abstract

Both philosophy and cognitive science have made valuable contributions towards accounting for the aetiology of Schizophrenia, an illness that possesses a disparate assortment of symptoms. However, there is no firm agreement on what causes such experiences to arise. A theory is proposed which simplifies the signs and symptoms of Schizophrenia and is something which does not appear to exist in the field to date. The model proposed is a hybrid theory, combining the phenomenological approach of Sass and Parnas with elements from Frith and Hemsley’s cognitive science perspective. An argument is that if a hybrid theory was used it would assist in the early intervention of Schizophrenia by providing a focus for treatment during developmental stages. Keywords: psychiatric practice, cognitive science, early intervention in Schizophrenia, prodromal symptoms in Schizophrenia, unification of symptom clusters in Schizophrenia.