Jumping to conclusions and perceptions in early psychosis: Relationship with delusional beliefs (original) (raw)
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Jumping to perceptions and to conclusions: specificity to hallucinations and delusions
Schizophrenia research, 2014
There is evidence that people with psychosis display a "jump-to-conclusions" (JTC) reasoning style, and that this bias may be specific to delusions. A "jump-to-perceptions" (JTP) cognitive bias has also been found and is typically linked to hallucinations. However, there is some evidence for an association between JTP and delusions, and its specificity to hallucinations remains unclear. It has been suggested that these biases are related and products of shared cognitive processes. This study examined the symptom specificity of JTC and JTP, and the relationship between them, in a sample of 98 individuals with delusions divided into 'hallucinators' (n=51) and 'non-hallucinators' (n=47). Biases were assessed using the beads task and visual and auditory perceptual tasks. As predicted, both groups demonstrated a JTC bias, but the 'hallucinators' showed a more pronounced JTP style in both modalities. The presence of JTC and JTP biases did not co...
The jumping to conclusions bias in delusions: Specificity and changeability
Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2010
There are indications that a jumping to conclusions bias (JTC) plays a role in the formation and maintenance of delusions and should be targeted in therapy. However, it is unclear whether (a) JTC is uniquely associated with delusions or simply an epiphenomenon of schizophrenia or impaired intellectual functioning and (b) it can be changed by varying task demands, motivational factors, or feedback. Seventy-one patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and either acute or remitted delusions and 68 healthy controls were included. Patients were assessed with self-and observer-rated symptom measures. All participants were assessed for intellectual ability and performed the classic beads task with a ratio of 80:20. They were then presented with task variations that involved increasing the difficulty of the ratio to 60:40, introducing a rule for which correct decisions were rewarded by monetary gains and false decisions led to financial losses, and providing feedback on the accuracy of the previous decisions. Participants with current delusional symptoms took fewer draws to decision (DTD) than did those in remission and healthy controls. DTD were associated with observer-rated delusions, but controlling for negative symptoms or intelligence rendered this association insignificant. DTD increased after the difficulty of the task increased and after feedback. The study demonstrated that JTC is linked to delusions but that this association is not unique. Patients with delusions are principally able to adapt their decisions to altered conditions but still decide relatively quickly even when decisions have negative consequences. These difficulties might stem in part from impaired intellectual functioning.
Change in delusions is associated with change in “jumping to conclusions”
Psychiatry Research, 2009
Evidence has been put forward that premature termination of data collection and jumping to conclusions behavior (JTC) is associated with delusions. However, few investigations have attempted to track associations between changes in delusions and changes in JTC measures. In the current study individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders completed a version of the JTC task (involving fishing from lakes as opposed to drawing beads from a jar) at two timepoints 12 weeks apart. The results revealed significant negative correlations between change in task performance (number of requested pieces of information) and change in delusion scores over time. This evidence is consistent with the contention that the JTC task is sensitive to the cognitive systems underlying delusions in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, 2015
Patients with delusions exhibit an increased tendency to arrive at decisions based on very limited evidence (jumping-to-conclusions; JTC), making this reasoning bias relevant for the treatment of delusions. Neurocognitive deficits contribute to JTC, but it is not known whether this has any bearing on the clinical syndrome of delusions. We addressed this question by reanalyzing data from an efficacy study of nonpharmacological interventions as adjunctive treatments in schizophrenia. We investigated the longitudinal associations of cognitive functioning, JTC and delusions in patients with psychotic disorders receiving either a metacognitive intervention addressing reasoning biases (n = 59), or cognitive remediation (n = 58). Both interventions improved JTC; in the cognitive remediation group, tentative evidence suggested that better neurocognitive performance contributed to this improvement. However, JTC gains were associated with delusion improvement only in the metacognitive intervention group, suggesting a content-specific mechanism of action.
Neuropsychological functioning and jumping to conclusions in delusions
Schizophrenia Research, 2013
Background: It has been consistently demonstrated that delusions are related to jumping to conclusions (JTC), a data-gathering bias and potential candidate endophenotype of psychosis. Recent research suggests that JTC may be a marker of treatment response. However, we know little about the factors contributing to the occurrence of this reasoning bias. This study investigated the relationship between JTC and hypothesised deficits in working memory, employing standard well-validated neuropsychological tests, in people with current delusions. Method: One hundred and twenty six people with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis and current delusions were assessed for current symptoms, and tested for JTC. We compared performance on tests of working memory in those with the reasoning bias and those without. Results: As expected, 30-40% of this sample of people with current delusions showed the JTC bias. There were no differences in premorbid IQ between those with and without the JTC reasoning bias. However, the performance of the JTC group was significantly worse on tests of working memory. Conclusions: The JTC data-gathering bias is associated with impairments in working memory. New nonpharmacological interventions for people with delusions, designed to improve data gathering, may benefit from incorporating strategies to overcome deficits in working memory.