Originally published in 1978, the contributors to this volume, including the leading figures in experimental psychopathology, were largely concerned with deducing the behaviour of schizophrenics from general psychological theories of language, learning and cognition. Their emphasis on deduction reflected a modern reliance on laboratory experimentation, and, taken as a whole, the chapters cover the breadth and variety of current approaches of the time to the study of schizophrenic language and cognition.
The first part of the volume is concerned with recent developments in the study of schizophrenic language. The second part deals with various aspects of schizophrenic cognition. The final chapter, by the editor, attempts to review and integrate what was currently known about schizophrenic cognition and language. This chapter contrasts the various experimental methodologies used to validate theories by pointing out areas of agreement and disagreement as well as possible directions for future theory and research. Here is a book that at the time presented the most up-to-date overview available on language and thought in schizophrenia. Today it can be read and enjoyed in its historical context.