Pictorial size perception in schizophrenia

• Published in: Psicologia, reflexão e crítica reflexão e crítica, 2021-11, Vol.34 (1), p.36-36, Article 36
• Main Authors: de Bustamante Simas, Maria Lúcia, Maranhão, Ana Cristina Taunay, Lacerda, Aline Mendes, Teixeira, Flora Silva, Freire, Carlos Henrique Resende, da Silva Raposo, Cecília Coimbra, de Menezes, Georgia Mônica Marque
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Health Psychology; PHYSICS, MULTIDISCIPLINARY; Pictorial perception; Psychological Methods/Evaluation; Psychological process and experimental psychology; Psychology; Psychology Research; Psychometrics; Psychosis; Schizophrenia; Size perception; Spatial perception
• ISSN: 0102-7972; 1678-7153; 1678-7153
• DOI: 10.1186/s41155-021-00201-z

In this study, we compared visual pictorial size perception between healthy volunteers (CG) and an experimental group (EG) of people diagnosed with schizophrenia. We have been using paintings by Salvador Dalí and Rorschach plates to estimate visual pictorial size perception. In this transversal, ex post facto, and quasi-experimental study, we observed differences between EG and CG. Schizophrenic in-patients perceived sizes about 1.3-fold greater than healthy volunteers ( p =0.006), implying that pictorial size perception is altered in some way in schizophrenia. Considering the present and previous results, this measurement of diameter size of first pictorial perception may be a useful estimate of some aspects of perceptual alterations that may be associated with psychotic symptoms in prodromal and acute schizophrenic episodes and other related mental states. Eventually, this may help in preventing people from evolving to acute episodes.