Schizophrenia. A cognitive model and its implications for psychological intervention.
Treat schizophrenia symptoms as learned operants while also testing the broken brain filter that may drive them.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Lindsley (1996) wrote a theory paper. It links brain science with thoughts in schizophrenia.
The paper lists how odd beliefs and voices might flow from broken information filters.
No new data were collected; the goal was to give clinicians a map for future tests.
What they found
The model says schizophrenia is a traffic jam in neural message routes.
When filters fail, harmless thoughts get tagged as outside voices or outside threats.
The paper ends with hints for cognitive-behavioral drills that a BCBA could shape.
How this fits with other research
Layng et al. (1984) came first. They treated delusions like any other operant: find the payoff, change the payoff. Lindsley (1996) keeps the payoff idea but adds brain wiring to the story.
Jensen et al. (2013) bring math tools from information theory. Their metrics could let you test R’s filter idea with cold, hard numbers.
Abbott (2013) warns us: define terms by what people do, not by what they say they feel. Use that lens when you write programs based on R’s cognitive labels.
Why it matters
You now have a bridge between brain talk and behavior talk. Start by viewing hallucinations as extra-strength reinforcement. Then use R’s filter cues to pick cues to modify. Pair simple contingencies with simple self-monitoring sheets. Track if clients label their own thoughts faster after reinforcement. You just turned a neural model into a session-ready probe.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
It is argued in this article that information-processing models enable us to link psychotic phenomena to their neural bases. The core abnormality is viewed as a disturbance in the integration of sensory input with stored material. The performance of schizophrenic subjects on tasks derived from both animal learning theory and human experimental psychology is consistent with the model. The way in which such a disturbance relates to schizophrenic symptoms is outlined. It may result from an abnormality at one or more points in the neural circuit responsible for generating predictions of subsequent sensory input; in particular the hippocampus and related brain structures are implicated. The potential relevance of the model for psychological intervention is discussed.
Behavior modification, 1996 · doi:10.1177/01454455960202001