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Filling the preparatory interval with temporal information or visual noise: crossover effect in schizophrenics and controls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Ulrike Borst  and
Rudolf Cohen
Ulrike Borst
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Federal Republic of Germany
Rudolf Cohen*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Federal Republic of Germany
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor Dr R. Cohen, Fachgruppe Psychologie, Universitaet Konstanz, Postfach 5560, 7750 Konstanz, Federal Republic of Germany.
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Synopsis

Three variants of a simple reaction time task with regular and irregular series of different preparatory intervals (Pls) were presented to schizophrenics and a control group of alcoholics and normals: the visual warning signal (WS) either (1) remained fixed, (2) shrank at a constant rate, or (3) changed in size erratically. Time information provided by shrinking WSs reduced the average reaction time in all groups and attenuated the crossover effect (COE) of schizophrenics, although even here more schizophrenics than controls had COE-scores ≥ 25 msec. Erratically changing WSs introduced the COE in controls. Within groups the COE was not related to general response speed, age, duration of hospitalization, or medication. Results are interpreted as indicating that schizophrenics eschew controlled anticipatory processes on the basis of WS- and PI-information which are crucial for motor preparation when PIs are too long to allow an automatic perceptual grouping of warning and imperative stimulus. This may also occur in controls when time estimation is impeded by distraction.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , November 1989 , pp. 865 - 874
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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