Journal article
Hyperfocusing in Schizophrenia: Evidence From Interactions Between Working Memory and Eye Movements
Journal of abnormal psychology (1965), Vol.123(4), pp.783-795
11/2014
DOI: 10.1037/abn0000003
PMCID: PMC4227934
PMID: 25089655
Abstract
Recent research suggests that processing resources are focused more narrowly but more intensely in people with schizophrenia (PSZ) than in healthy control subjects (HCS), possibly reflecting local cortical circuit abnormalities. This hyperfocusing hypothesis leads to the counterintuitive prediction that, although PSZ cannot store as much information in working memory as HCS, the working memory representations that are present in PSZ may be more intense than those in HCS. To test this hypothesis, we used a task in which participants make a saccadic eye movement to a peripheral target and avoid a parafoveal nontarget while they are holding a color in working memory. Previous research with this task has shown that the parafoveal nontarget is more distracting when it matches the color being held in working memory. This effect should be enhanced in PSZ if their working memory representations are more intense. Consistent with this prediction, we found that the effect of a match between the distractor color and the memory color was larger in PSZ than in HCS. We also observed evidence that PSZ hyperfocused spatially on the region surrounding the fixation point. These results provide further evidence that some aspects of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia may be a result of a narrower and more intense focusing of processing resources.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Hyperfocusing in Schizophrenia: Evidence From Interactions Between Working Memory and Eye Movements
- Creators
- Steven J Luck - Center for Mind & Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisClara McClenon - Center for Mind & Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisValerie M Beck - Department of Psychology, University of Iowa and Center for Mind & Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisAndrew Hollingworth - Department of Psychology, University of IowaCarly J Leonard - Center for Mind & Brain and Department of Psychology, University of California, DavisBritta Hahn - Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of MedicineBenjamin M Robinson - Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of MedicineJames M Gold - Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine
- Contributors
- Sherryl Goodman (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of abnormal psychology (1965), Vol.123(4), pp.783-795
- DOI
- 10.1037/abn0000003
- PMID
- 25089655
- PMCID
- PMC4227934
- NLM abbreviation
- J Abnorm Psychol
- ISSN
- 0021-843X
- eISSN
- 1939-1846
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000025, name: National Institute of Mental Health, award: R01MH065034; DOI: 10.13039/100000053, name: National Eye Institute, award: R01EY017356
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/2014
- Academic Unit
- Psychological and Brain Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9984213426202771
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