Examining the process of social cognition in schizophrenia disorder

Individuals with schizophrenia show impaired social cognition, which manifests as hardships in identifying emotions, feeing attached to others, deducing people’s thoughts and reacting emotionally to others. These social cognitive impairments impede social connections and are strong determinants of the extent of impaired daily functioning in such individuals.  Here, we review recent findings from the fields of social cognition and social neuroscience and identify the social processes that are impaired in schizophrenia. We also consider empathy as an example of a complex social cognitive function that integrates several social processes and is impaired in schizophrenia.