SCHIZOPHRENIA, SYMPTOMATOLOGY AND SOCIAL INFERENCE - INVESTIGATING THEORY OF MIND IN PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

It has been proposed that certain psychotic symptoms associated with s chizophrenia reflect a deficit in the ability to appreciate other peop le's mental states (Frith, 1992). This notion is tested using a newly devised task examining the capacity to infer intentions behind indirec t speech. The findings support the notion that some patients with schi zophrenia have difficulties with tasks requiring 'theory of mind' skil ls and that this deficiency is symptom specific. The findings are disc ussed with reference to the cognitive skills which may be involved in the performance of tasks requiring social inferences.