A prediction of patterns of schizophrenic error resulting from semantic generalization.
Stephen Alan Mourer · Journal of Abnormal Psychology · 1973
Predictions arc derived from a theory of disordered thought offered by Chapman, Chapman, and Miller (1964) concerning the conditions under which schizophrenic subjects exhibit excessive generalization errors. The theory assumes that both the schizophrenic and normal are biased toward responding to words in terms of the words ' strongest aspects of meaning but that schizo-phrenics are more strongly biased toward this than are normals. Schizophrenic (n — 26) and normal subjects (n = 26) were instructed to indicate by pressing buttons marked "yes " and "no " whether or not test words presented in serial fashion on a memory drum had appeared on a previous training list. "Yes " responses to test words not appearing on a previous training list were the measures of generalization errors. The predictions were supported in that schizophrenics made significantly more errors to words on the test list that shared strong meaning responses O<.01), but normal subjects did not. In addition, the difference between generalization errors to words sharing strong and weak meaning responses was significantly greater for schizophrenics than