Executive Functioning in Schizophrenia: The Contributions of Attention, Working Memory, Processing Speed

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which executive functioning performance may be associated with indices of attention, working memory, processing speed, and general intelligence in 45 individuals with schizophrenia from a multicultural sample. It was hypothesized that relatively higher performances on measures of these cognitive processes would be positively associated with higher executive functioning performance, as measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Contrary to expectations, results indicated that attention, working memory, and processing speed did not significantly correlate with executive functioning performance. However, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Third Edition (WAIS-III) Full-Scale IQ scores did significantly correlate with WCST performance, suggesting that general intellectual deficits may underlie executive functioning impairments in schizophrenia.