Social Cognition & Mental Disorder: Autism Spectrum Disorder - Essay Sample

Introduction

Social cognition is a broad area of social psychology that focuses on unveiling how different people behave in the case of social settings, for example, how they process and store information in the context of other people. On the other hand, the concept of mental disorder revolves around human behaviors defined as different from typical one-example thoughts, attitudes, and feelings as well as reasoning. Autism spectrum disorder is one of the psychiatric condition described in this assignment as well as its features and effect on individual social cognition and behaviors as well (Bechara 2004). The condition immensely relates to brain development and influences how the victim of the condition socialize and perceive things in the environment. The essay here analyses a mental condition, autism spectrum disorder by focusing on its features and effect on social cognition.

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Autism spectrum features are essential in the department of psychiatry and important in unveiling our understanding of autism spectrum disorder in the context of social cognition. Some of the features of the condition include problems with social interaction with others, unusual interests in objects, repeated actions or body movements, and perception of emotions. Mentioned features describe the condition, autism spectrum disorder, and have an influence in someone's behaviors and affect individual social cognition process, for example, how individuals process information. The condition is a developmental disorder that immensely affects social cognition because it affects communication and behavior "a substantial genetic component, and impairments in social interaction and communication." Since communications are fundamental to social cognition and leeway to friendships development, individuals with autism spectrum conditions have limited opportunities; hence, it is how the condition affects social perception. The condition affects non-verbal communication skills.

Repetitive patterns of behavior is another feature or characteristic of victims with an autism spectrum disorder, which affects social cognitive abilities of individuals suffering from the condition. The repetitive patterns in behaviors among individual with the condition, autism spectrum disorder affect social cognition because back in their subconscious mind, the ways of doing things have been patterned. Most of the individuals in this case of the condition fail to develop and sustain a relationship, thus forming the basis of how autism spectrum disorder affects social cognition (Kennedy, & Adolphs 2012). Repetitive social cognitive patterns lead to impaired social cognition abilities in people who have autism spectrum disorder in the region and hence, the basis that affects the victim social cognitive abilities in social settings.

On the case of emotional perception, individuals with autism disorder are different when it comes to social interaction where they find it difficult to share emotions with others as well as what they do hold. Emotions affect their social interaction. Since they can share emotions, individual suffering from the condition, autism spectrum disorder, fails to understand the feelings of others whenever in social settings or talks. Failing to understand others emotions forms the basis of how the condition affects individual social cognition abilities in the region. This means individuals who have autism spectrum disorder cannot detect emotion experienced by others in the case of an evident, thus influencing their social cognitive abilities whenever in the social settings. Fail to understand other people feelings among individuals with this condition, autism spectrum disorder, alter the ability of their senses.

Communication Deficit is another symptom that affects social cognitive abilities of people who have the mental disorder, autism spectrum disorder. Some of the communication deficits they experience in communication include inappropriate response to conversations and misreading nonverbal interaction, among others. All these mentioned series of communication deficit focuses on how it affects social cognitive abilities of individuals with the condition, autism spectrum disorder. Social behavior and speech in the case of autism spectrum is different example unlikely approach to others as well as difficulty understanding others feelings hence influencing social cognitions. In the case of speech and language, individuals affected in most occasions communicate with a strange voice and are in font of repeating words and phrases without communicative intent making social cognition abilities limited.

Autism spectrum disorder is a valid developmental, mental condition in the health sector influencing neurological functions hence social cognition. The condition is an exact medical condition because in most cases, it is associated with clinical significance, which is within the medical field. Autism is also associated with clinical severity and motor impairment that manifests and delay gross and fine motor, which then put it in the medical category, specifically in the mental group (Wasson et al. 2018). Autism spectrum disorder is a medical condition because its influence is more pronounced in the victim's brain - psychological. Symptoms surrounding mental conditions are in line with psychological symptoms, which include a change in personal behavior; this is the case in autism spectrum disorder, which make it a mental disorder.

Conclusion

To sum up, social cognition refers to the area of psychology that focuses on unveiling how people in social setting process, store and apply the information when interacting with others. Mental disorder is behavioral conditions that influence psychological pattern causing brain impairment. Autism spectrum disorder affects people's social cognition abilities because it affects personal behavior and communication skills. People who have autism spectrum disorder find it hard to detect other people's feelings, thus affecting their social cognitive abilities. Autism spectrum disorder is a valid mental disorder because its effects are psychologically pronounced, for example, emotional difficulties.

References

Bechara, A. (2004). The role of emotion in decision-making: evidence from neurological patients with orbitofrontal damage. Brain and cognition, 55(1), 30-40. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15134841

Kennedy, D. P., & Adolphs, R. (2012). The social brain in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(11), 559-572. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23047070

Wasson, L. T., Shaffer, J. A., Edmondson, D., Bring, R., Brondolo, E., Falzon, L., & Kronish, I. M. (2018). Posttraumatic stress disorder and nonadherence to medications prescribed for chronic medical conditions: A meta-analysis. Journal of psychiatric research, 102, 102-109. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29631190