Does a Computerized Social Cognitive Intervention Improve Implicit or Explicit Theory of Mind?

Individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders experience social functioning impairments in relation to the general population. Social cognition has been identified as a primary contributor of social functioning deficits, and individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have been found to have difficulties in all domains of social cognition. Most therapeutic interventions have been found to have limited effect on the improvement of social cognition. The current study focuses on the implementation of a computerized social cognitive intervention designed to improve several domains of social cognition in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, including theory of mind. This intervention was found to lead to change in implicit theory of mind but not explicit theory of mind or social functioning. Possible reasons for this pattern of changes and the implications of these findings are discussed.