A path model investigation of neurocognition, theory of mind, social competence, negative symptoms and real-world functioning in schizophrenia

Background. Having a ‘theory of mind’ (ToM) means that one appreciates one's own and others' mental states, and that this appreciation guides interactions with others. It has been proposed that ToM is impaired in schizophrenia and experimental studies show that patients with schizophrenia have problems with ToM, particularly during acute episodes. The model predicts that communicative problems will result from ToM deficits.Method. We analysed 35 encounters (>80 h of recordings) between mental health professionals and people with chronic schizophrenia (out-patient consultations and cognitive behaviour therapy sessions) using conversation analysis in order to identify how the participants used or failed to use ToM relevant skills in social interaction.Results. Schizophrenics with ongoing positive and negative symptoms appropriately reported first and second order mental states of others and designed their contributions to conversations on the basis of what they thought their communicative partners knew and intended. Patients recognized that others do not share their delusions and attempted to reconcile others' beliefs with their own but problems arose when they try to warrant their delusional claims. They did not make the justification for their claim understandable for their interlocutor. Nevertheless, they did not fail to recognize that the justification for their claim is unconvincing. However, the ensuing disagreement did not lead them to modify their beliefs.Conclusions. Individuals with schizophrenia demonstrated intact ToM skills in conversational interactions. Psychotic beliefs persisted despite the realization they are not shared but not because patients cannot reflect on them and compare them with what others believe.

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Social competence, theory of mind, and executive function in institution-reared Turkish children

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1177/0165025414556095 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 39 (6) ◽

pp. 519-529 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Evren Etel ◽

Bilge Yagmurlu

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Social Competence ◽

Mental State ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Receptive Language ◽

Scaling Analysis ◽

Turkish Children ◽

The Social ◽

Behavioral Assessments

This study had two aims. The first aim was to measure mental state understanding in institution-reared children by using a theory of mind (ToM) scale, and to examine the role of cultural context in sequencing of ToM acquisition. The other aim was to investigate ToM in relation to social competence and executive function (EF). Due to its pronounced role in mental state understanding and social interactions, we assessed receptive language as well. The participants were 107 institution-reared children aged 3 to 5 years in Turkey. Two visits were held within 2 days for behavioral assessments. In the first visit, the ToM scale was administered; in the second visit, the child was given the language test and the EF tasks. The social competence scales were completed by the child’s primary care provider in the institution. Guttman scaling analysis revealed that an understanding of diverse beliefs developed earlier than knowledge access, favoring the “individualistic pattern.” The regression analysis showed that EF was a significant predictor of ToM, but neither of them was associated with social competence when age was controlled. Receptive language predicted social competence and EF directly, and ToM indirectly through EF, pointing to the importance of this ability for early development.

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A Prospective Study of Social Competence in Survivors of Pediatric Brain Tumors

10.22541/au.163821981.17818312/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

May Albee ◽

Santiago Allende ◽

Victoria Cosgrove ◽

Matthew Hocking

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Theory Of Mind ◽

Social Competence ◽

Brain Tumors ◽

Peer Relationships ◽

Pediatric Brain Tumors ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Pediatric Brain ◽

Over Time

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Survivors of pediatric brain tumors (BT) are at increased risk for difficulties with social competence, including poor social information processing (SIP) and peer relationships. Due to improved survival rates among BT, there is a need to better understand these challenges and if they are specific to BT versus other survivors of childhood cancer. METHODS: 51 BT and 34 survivors of pediatric solid tumors (ST) completed evaluations of SIP and peer relationship quality within 6 months of completing treatment and at one year follow-up. Caregivers also completed a measure of social skills. Linear mixed models evaluated (1) differences between BT and ST on SIP and social skills and (2) how indices of SIP were associated with peer relationships over time for ST and BT. RESULTS: BT did not differ from ST on indices of SIP or social skills over time. There was a three-way interaction between measures of SIP, group, and time to predict peer relationships. ST showed a positive association between baseline social skills and theory of mind and peer relationships over time, whereas BT showed an inverse association between baseline social skills and theory of mind and peer relationships over time. CONCLUSION: Baseline SIP and social skills affected the trajectory of BT peer relationships. BT social functioning should be monitored regularly after the completion of treatment to determine if and when intervention services would be beneficial.

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Influence Dealers: A Path Analysis Model of Agenda Building during Richard Nixon's War on Drugs

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly ◽

10.1177/107769909607300116 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

pp. 181-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Thomas J. Johnson ◽

Wayne Wanta ◽

Timothy Boudreau ◽

Janet Blank-Libra ◽

Killian Schaffer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Path Analysis ◽

Real World ◽

The United States ◽

Nixon Administration ◽

Path Model ◽

Agenda Building ◽

Analysis Model ◽

The Public ◽

The Media ◽

Path Analysis Model

This agenda-building study employed a path analysis model to examine the three-way relationship among the public, the media, and the president on the issue of drug abuse during the Nixon administration. The path model also measured the extent to which these actors were influenced by real-world conditions about the number of drug-related arrests in the United States. Past studies have suggested a cyclical relationship should exist among the president, the press, and the public. This study, however, found a linear relationship with issues moving first, from real world to the media and the public, then from the media to the public, and finally from the public to the president.

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Theory of Mind and social competence in children and adolescents with genetic generalised epilepsy (GGE): Relationships to epilepsy severity and anti-epileptic drugs

Seizure ◽

10.1016/j.seizure.2018.06.015 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 60 ◽

pp. 96-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Elizabeth Stewart ◽

Cathy Catroppa ◽

Deepak Gill ◽

Richard Webster ◽

John Lawson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Theory Of Mind ◽

Social Competence ◽

Children And Adolescents

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Negative symptoms of schizophrenia: Clinical features, relevance to real world functioning and specificity versus other CNS disorders

European Neuropsychopharmacology ◽

10.1016/j.euroneuro.2013.10.017 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 24 (5) ◽

pp. 693-709 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

George Foussias ◽

Ofer Agid ◽

Gagan Fervaha ◽

Gary Remington

Keyword(s):

Clinical Features ◽

Real World ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Cns Disorders

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Heritability, theory of mind, and the nature of normality

Behavioral and Brain Sciences ◽

10.1017/s0140525x97241518 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 527-531 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Linda Mealey

Keyword(s):

Theory Of Mind ◽

Path Model

It is impossible to discuss the constructs “heritability,” “theory of mind,” and “normality” in a single coherent essay. The following three rejoinders address each of these exceedingly complex constructs individually, as each relates to the two-path model of sociopathy and psychopathy.

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