Conceptual combination in schizophrenia: Contrasting property and relational interpretations

Abstract: This study employed a conceptual combination task based on Estes and Glucksberg [(2000). Interactive property attribution in concept combination. Memory & Cognition, 28(1), 28–34] to address the question of whether semantic processing abnormalities in schizophrenia arise from deficits in semantic storage or access, or the controlled use of semantic memory representations. High thought disorder schizophrenia patients (), low thought disorder schizophrenia patients (), and controls () read and interpreted noun–noun combinations that varied with respect to whether the modifier noun had a salient semantic feature that could be mapped to a relevant dimension of a head noun. The percentages of property attributions, relational interpretations, and “other” interpretations were determined for each combination type. Subjective difficulty ratings were also collected for each response. Neither high nor low thought disorder patients differed from controls in the production of property interpretations. High thought disorder patients were significantly less likely to generate relational interpretations and significantly more likely to generate “other” interpretations. Subjective difficulty ratings were low for all groups, suggesting that differences in the ease of generating interpretations does not account for the results. The finding of intact property interpretations suggests that the integrity and initial access of semantic memory is spared in schizophrenia. In contrast, the reduced production of relational interpretations and increased production of “other” interpretations in schizophrenia suggests a compromised ability to engage in the controlled processing operations necessary to make flexible use of semantic material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]