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Disconfirmatory feedback in families of schizophrenics
Author(s) -
HOLTE ARNE,
WICHSTRØM LARS
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.1990.tb00831.x
Subject(s) - psychology , situational ethics , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychopathology , coding (social sciences) , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , statistics , mathematics
A new approach to the study of family commmunication and psychopathology, in particular schizophrenia, using Saugstad's theory about use of language as its point of departure is presented. Conflicts between family members were observed and measured using a new unrevealed difference technique, the Colour Conflict Method (CCM). Communication was analysed in terms of continuous feedback processes, using the new computerized method, Confirmation‐Disconfirmation Coding System (CONDIS). Feedback mechanisms in the internal communication of families of schizophrenics, normals, and non‐schizophrenic pathological controls ( n = 21) are described. The findings show that families of schizophrenics lack the ability to adapt their communication to changing situational requirements. When conflicts were introduced, families of schizophrenics—in contrast to non‐schizophrenics within the extended schizophrenia spectrum and normals—increased their frequency of disconfirmatory feedback reactions instead of expressing disagreements openly. This was due to active disqualifications occuring between the parents and from the parents towards their schizophrenic offspring, who reacted with incomprehensible egocentric communication acts.