Insight and executive function: investigating the role of dynamic assessment
Abstract
The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship among clinical insight,
cognitive insight, and executive functioning (EF), as measured by both a dynamic and
standard format. Thirty-six participants with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder
completed assessments of cognitive insight, clinical insight, and EF. The EF measure of the
Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was completed in both a standard and dynamic format. Results
indicated small effect size correlations between clinical insight and standard EF assessments,
but the directions of these correlations were contrary to much of the previous research.
Additional small to moderate correlations were found between cognitive insight and a
dynamic EF measure. Other findings suggested that persons with better clinical insight
reported greater cognitive difficulties. Findings suggest several implications: EF is likely
related to insight, lack of insight is not homogenous in this population, the constructs
measured by standard assessments are not equivalent to the constructs of dynamic
assessments, and clinical and cognitive insight are related, yet independent constructs. Future
research directions are discussed.
Table of Contents
Overview -- Literature review -- Methodology -- Results -- Discussion -- Appendix A. Scale to assess unawareness of mental disorder-abridged -- Appendix B. Subjective scale to investigate cognition in schizophrenia -- Appendix C. Glossary of terms
Degree
Ph.D.