Abstract
Abstract: In this study, 50 patients with schizophrenia were assessed by selected tests of executive functions. With the use of correlations, we investigated the relationship of executive tests outcomes and the scales describing daily funcioning with the aim to specify their ecological validity.
Ecological validity is a specific form of external validity. It refers to the extent of the relation of outcome measures and the behaviour in ordinary daily situations.
Or, in other words, what does the test outcome bring for the patient's real life. Several executive function tests did correlate significantly with the newly developed clinical scale.
Controlled oral word association test (both semantic and categorial) had the most frequent correlations. WCST outcomes had no significant correlations with PSP scale while significant correlations were found with clinical scale.
IADL scale had least correlations with the executive function tests. The important variable was patient's insight into theirillness and their handicap.
Insight scale correlated significantly with the scales of functioning as well as with WAIS-III Similarities subtest. Choosing self rating or patient questioning as a measure for describing the social functioning seems to be problematic mainly due disturbed insight in schizophrenia patients.
Acceptable assessment of executive function and social functioning is a fundamental condition for planning psychiatric rehabilitation and resocialization in accordance with the needs of the particular patient.