Skip to main content
Log in

Choice reaction time performance in hospitalized schizophrenic patients and depressed patients

  • Published:
European archives of psychiatry and neurological sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The choice reaction time performances of matched groups of hospitalized patients diagnosed schizophrenic or depressed were compared with normal controls to test a hypothesis concerning thought disorder specific to schizophrenia. Both patient groups were abnormal compared to controls providing evidence inconsistent with the diagnostic specificity issue. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive dysfunction in depression, the effects of institutionalization and the problems of diagnostic heterogeneity.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Broadbent DE (1971) Decision and stress. Academic Press, London New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs GE, Blaha J (1969) Memory retrieval and central comparison times in information processing. J Exp Psychol 79:395–402

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs GE, Johnson AM (1973) On the nature of central processing in choice reactions. Memory Cog 1:91–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Briggs GE, Swanson JM (1970) Encoding, decoding and central functions in human information processing. J Exp Psychol 86:296–308

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne DG (1976) Choice reaction times in depressive states. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 15:149–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Cancro R (1968) Thought disorder and schizophrenia. Dis New Syst 29:846–849

    Google Scholar 

  • Cancro R, Sutton S, Kerr J, Sugarman AA (1971) Reaction time and prognosis in acute schizophrenia. J Nerv Ment Dis 153:351–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Cornell DG, Suarez R, Berent S (1984) Psychomotor retardation in melancholic and nonmelancholic depression: cognitive and motor components. J Abnorm Psychol 93:150–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitts PM, Deininger RL (1954) S-R compatibility: correspondence among paired elements with stimulus and response codes. J Exp Psychol 48:483–492

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman AS (1964) Minimal effects of severe depression on cognitive functioning. J Abnorm Psychol 69:237–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Garmezy N (1978) Attentional processes in adult schizophrenia and in children at risk. J Psychiatr Res 14:3–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Garner WR (1962) Uncertainty and structure as psychological concepts. Wiley & Sons, New York London

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg SC (1972) Advantages and problems in the use of performance tests to study schizophrenic deficits. Psychopharmacol 24:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein G (1978) Cognitive and perceptual differences between schizophrenics and organics. Schizophr Bull 4:160–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Granick S (1963) Comparative analysis of psychotic depressives with matched normals on some untimed verbal intelligence tests. J Consult Psychol 27:439–443

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris JE (1975) An abbreviated form of the Phillips rating scale of premorbid adjustment in schizophrenia. J Abnorm Psychol 84:129–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrow M, Quinlan D (1977) Is disordered thinking unique to schizophrenia? Arch Gen Psychiatry 34:15–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemsley DR (1976) Attention and information-processing in schizophrenia. University of London, unpublished Ph.D. thesis

  • Hemsley DR (1976a) Attention and information processing in schizophrenia. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 15:199–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Hemsley DR (1978) Limitations of operant procedures in the modification of schizophrenic functioning: the possible relevance of studies of cognitive disturbance. Behav Anal Modif 2:165–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Hick WE (1952) On the rate of gain of information. Q J Exp Psychol 4:11–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Karras A (1973) Effects of competing and complex responses on the reaction time of acute psychiatric groups. J Abnorm Psychol 82:134–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolakowska T, Williams AO, Jambor K, Ardern M (1985) Schizophrenia with good and poor outcome. III: Neurological “soft” signs, cognitive impairment and their clinical significance. Br J Psychiatry 146:348–357

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller WR (1975) Psychological deficit in depression. Psychol Bull 82:238–260

    Google Scholar 

  • Ogden GD, Alluisi EA (1980) Stimulus-response compatibility effects in choice reactions and memory scanning. J Exp Psychol 6:430–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Oltmanns TF (1978) Selective attention in schizophrenic and manic psychoses: The effect of distraction on information processing. J Abnorm Psychol 87:212–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Penk WE (1978) Effects of ambiguous and unambiguous stimulus word differences on popular responses of schizophrenics. J Clin Psychol 14:838–843

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillips L (1953) Case history data and prognosis in schizophrenia. J Nerv Ment Dis 117:515–523

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodnick EH, Shakow D (1940) Set in the schizophrenic as measured by a composite RT index. Am J Psychiatry 97:214–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal D, Lawlor WG, Zahn TP, Shakow D (1960) The relationship of some aspects of mental set to degree of schizophrenic disorganization. J Pers 28:26–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Shimkunas AM (1970) Reciprocal shifts in schizophrenic thougt processes. J Abnorm Psychol 76:423–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Slade PD (1971) Rate of information processing in a schizophrenic and a control group: The effect of increasing task complexity. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 10:152–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Stephens JH (1970) Long-term course and prognosis in schizophrenia. Semin Psychiatry 2:464–485

    Google Scholar 

  • Venables PH (1958) Stimulus complexity as a determinant of the reaction time of schizophrenics. Can J Psychol 12:187–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Venables PH, O'Connor N (1959) Reaction time to auditory and visual stimulation in schizophrenic and abnormal subjects. Q J Exp Psychol 11:175–179

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler D (1955) Manual for the Wechsler adult intelligence scale. Psychological Corporation, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wickens CD (1974) Temporal limits of human information processing: A developmental study. Psychol Bull 81:739–755

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams RM, Alagaratnam W, Hemsley DR (1984) Relationship between subjective self-report of cognitive dysfunction and objective information-processing performance in a group of hospitalized schizophrenic patients. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 234:48–53

    Google Scholar 

  • Wing JK (1975) Impairment in schizophrenia: a rational basis for social treatment. In: Wirt RD, Winokur G, Roff M (eds) Life history research in psychopathology. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis

    Google Scholar 

  • Yates AJ (1966) Data-processing levels and thought disorder in schizophrenia. Aust J Psychol 18:103–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahn TP, Carpenter WT (1978) Effects of short-term outcome and clinical improvement on RT in acute schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 14:59–68

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Williams, R.M., Hemsley, D.R. Choice reaction time performance in hospitalized schizophrenic patients and depressed patients. Eur Arch Psychiatr Neurol Sci 236, 169–173 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380945

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00380945

Key words

Navigation