Selectivity of Thinking and Particularity of Association Activity in Different Modalities in Normal and Schizophrenia Children 8–11 Years Old

Abstract

The article is devoted to the actual problem of clinical psychology studies of cognitive dysontogenesis in schizophrenic conditions. Evaluation results of particularity of association activity and selectivity of thinking in normal and schizophrenic primary school age children are given. Two samples were examined: 60 schizophrenic children and 60 mentally healthy children at the age from 7 to 11 years old. Experimental psychological author’s complex of techniques for evaluation of verbal associations in response to stimuli of different modalities (olfactory, audio-verbal, visual, tactile) along with evaluation of thinking selectivity and cognitive development level were used. Present research results are discussed in relations with particularity of cognitive deficiency and manifestation of cognitive dysontogenesis in schizophrenic primary school age children. Connections between thinking selectivity disorder and particularities of association activity in different modalities of schizophrenic young schoolchildren are demonstrated. The key research result is following: thinking selectivity disorder in schizophrenia condition is also manifested in the association process of schizophrenic children and doesn’t depend on modality.

Keywords

• association activity
• verbal associations
• stimulus situations of different modalities
• primary school age
• schizophrenia.