The figurative language test: an instrument for thw assessment of concretism in schizophrenic patients

Authors

  • Daniel Roberto Martínez Jefe de Servicio de Psiquiatría (31 B) del Hospital Borda Profesor Titular de Clínica Psiquiátrica de la Escuela de Posgrado de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad del Salvador

Keywords:

Concretism, Schizophrenic thinking, Metaphors, Proverb comprehension

Abstract

Background: Concretism is a recognized formal thought disorder of schizophrenia, which has been studied clinically by proverb interpretation. To avoid the shortcomings of oral proverbs, there have been developed tests with multiple choice format, which have the advantage of avoiding the disparity of criteria and simplifying its application. In the absence of an equivalent test in Spanish, it is of interest to elaborate a test of this type to be used for clinical and research purposes. Method: the test consists of ten idioms and ten proverbs, each with four possible answers (one  correct, abstract). Thirty schizophrenics and thirty depressive controls were evaluated. The premorbid intelligence level was measured by the Word Accentuation Test. The reliability of the instrument was estimated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. The differential diagnostic utility of the test was measured by logistic regression. Results: the number of correct answers was significantly higher in the depressive group. Logistic regression correctly  classified more than 80% of patients from the correct answers. Cronbach’s alpha index was 0.89. Conclusions: The Figurative Language Test is a reliable and useful scale.  

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

2018-07-10

How to Cite

Martínez, D. R. (2018). The figurative language test: an instrument for thw assessment of concretism in schizophrenic patients. Vertex Revista Argentina De Psiquiatría, 29(139, may.-jun.), 184–191. Retrieved from https://revistavertex.com.ar/ojs/index.php/vertex/article/view/334