A Cognitive Model of Schizophrenia

Abstract

The poor reality testing and the thinking disorder in schizophrenia may be attributed to a deficiency in cognitive resources related to the neurobiological deficiencies. Recent therapy and research have demonstrated that, far from being a bizarre psychologically incomprehensible phenomenon, schizophrenia can be understood within our conventional conception of human nature. This humanizing trend is especially evident in the cognitive approaches to this disorder. Research has established that there is a continuum from normal experiences of paranormal beliefs, hallucinations, thinking problems, and withdrawal to their counterpart in schizophrenia. The kinds of biases in schizophrenia are also evident in common social problems such as prejudices and ethnocentrism as well as in interpersonal strife. Dysfunctional attitudes about attachment and performance in schizophrenia form the infrastructure for persecutory delusions and negative symptoms, respectively. Grandiose delusions, on the other hand, are shown to be an overcompensation for a sense of loneliness, inferiority, and vulnerability.