Preliminary neuropsychological findings in individuals at high genetic risk for schizophrenia.

AIMS: An understanding of baseline cognitive function in individuals at high genetic risk for schizophrenia could provide important information about the neurodevelopmental course of the illness and assist with early detection. In an effort to identify potential markers for the illness, this study investigates domains of neuropsychological functioning in a sample of young individuals at risk for developing schizophrenia. METHODS: Twenty-two individuals with schizophrenia, 16 participants at high risk and 31 controls participated in comprehensive cognitive assessments. RESULTS: Results support reports of a trend for high-risk participants to score intermediate to the other groups on a general cognitive battery, as well as evidencing deficits in specific skills like visual memory. The pattern appears to exist independently of and prior to the onset of prodromal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that a common cognitive pattern exists across individuals with genetic risk that may later develop into a clear psychotic illness. Further longitudinal investigation with larger cohorts is crucial to understanding these findings.

The role of societal benefits and fairness concerns among decision makers and decision recipients.

Four experiments examined the role of costs and benefits versus procedural and distributive justice for procedural fairness and procedural evaluations among decision makers and decision recipients. Experiments 1 and 2 examined the responses of actual judges in a 2 (high versus low benefit) x 2 (search procedure conducted respectfully versus disrespectfully) randomized factorial. In both studies judges evaluated procedures differently than is typical among samples of decision recipients: outcome concerns strongly influenced both procedural evaluations and procedural fairness while procedural concerns such as voice and respect were minimally influential. Whereas fairness concerns continued to be important among these decision makers, outcome fairness was more influential than procedural fairness. Studies 3 and 4 varied role (authority versus subordinate), procedural respect, and societal benefits. Both experiments supported our predictions that procedural criteria would dominate the procedural evaluations of subordinates whereas outcome concerns such as societal benefits would dominate the procedural evaluations of authorities.