관계사고 유발 상황에서 조현병 환자의 시각적 탐색 패턴

Visual Searching Pattern of Patients with Schizophrenia in the Idea-of-Reference-Provoking Situation

ObjectivesZZPatients with schizophrenia often present the idea of reference in social situations ; however, the number of research studies examining the nature of the idea of reference and the visual searching pattern in social situations is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate behavioral and visual searching characteristics of patients with schizophrenia in social situations in which the idea of reference can be provoked. MethodsZZEighteen subjects with schizophrenia (eight males) and 18 healthy volunteers (seven males) performed the idea-of-reference-provoking task, which was composed of movie clips with scenes of two women sitting on a bench 1 m away. The participants’ reactions were rated using questionnaires for self-reference, malevolent intentions, and anxiety. Visual scan path was monitored during performance of the task. ResultsZZThere were significant group differences in the reactions on self-reference, malevolent intentions, and anxiety. The visual searching pattern in patients with schizophrenia was to avoid looking at the women’s body area in every movie clip. However, there was no significant difference in the face area in both groups. ConclusionZZA distinct visual strategy in schizophrenia may affect the self-referential bias and paranoid response. The absence of difference in attention to a core information region (face) may suggest the possibility of inferential errors as well as the cause of self-referential bias and paranoid responses.