The Role of Social Cognition in Predicting the Social Functioning in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia

Objectives: Patients with schizophrenia are characterized with deficiencies in various aspects of social functioning. Given the relationship between social functioning deficits and relapse in these patients, identification of underlying factors is of significant importance. Thus, in this study, the contribution of each dimension of social cognition (Emotion Perception [EP], Theory of Mind [ToM] and Attributional Style [AS]) in predicting the social function of schizophrenic patients were examined. Methods: The statistical population included all patients with chronic schizophrenia hospitalized in Shiraz chronic healthcare centers. Of them, a total of 62 patients with schizophrenia disorder were selected based on purposive sampling method from three chronic care centers and were evaluated using social cognition tools (Hinting Task, Face Emotion Identification Task, and The Ambiguous Intentions and Hostility Questionnaire) and the Social Functioning Scale (SFS). Results: The results showed that ToM and EP predicted social functioning in people with schizophrenia but attributional style was not associated with social functioning. Discussion: On the whole, ToM and EP are general abilities contributing in explaining social functioning. However, the importance of attributional bias is significant when evaluating the performance of a person in specific areas such as aggressive behaviors.