Definition Cognition: Verbal and Nonverbal Communications - Assignment Example

 Question 1 Define cognition and then briefly discuss how we might interpret how Rachel’s thought processes and thought form are disturbed through her verbal and nonverbal communications? (Word limit 300 words) The process of involving mental processes to gain knowledge or information is known as Cognition. These processes include activities such as thinking, remembering, problem solving, judging, comprehension and knowing. The high-level functions that are conducted by brain also contain some activities such as imagination, planning, language or perception. (Ashcraft 2006). If a person is not able to comprehend or understand a situation, he or she may be confused and cannot take a decision, then the verbal or non-verbal method of communication often provide evidences of a persons state of mind, which is also Rachel’s state of mind. Another point of view can be that, this person is not fully aware or alert, but on the other hand, is able to recall some instances in the past which has been causing symptoms like hysteria. There may be times, when a person is not able to find solutions to a problem as cannot take a decision or is away from reality. The person may not be able to relate to the problem or evenly spell out to others. Language may become a problem and then stating the problem to others may be a difficult task. Sometimes, the non-verbal attributes showcased by such people can be reactions to spell out the desire to be alone or keeping aloof. This may lead to a situation wherein a person may stay out of touch with their kin for days together. Also, people blurt out garbled thoughts, which in return is a sign of a disturbed mind and body. Sometimes, people do not remember events in the past and thereupon, fail to comprehend them and put forward their concerns in an understandable gesture or language. Rachel clearly has displayed all these behavioural pattern through her verbal and non-verbal communication, which point towards her lack of cognition. Question 2 Define perception and then briefly discuss how we might interpret how Rachel may have some disturbance in one or more of her senses? (Word limit 300 words) Perception is an act of apprehending the situations by the means of senses or with mind power. It can be cognition or simply understanding the environment or behaviour intricately. The product or the results arrived because of perceiving is often next to being unnatural. Perception can also be defined as awareness arrived because of advanced sensory processes slanting to understand and analyse a situation at hand. It can also be seen to refer to a channel that can provide logical sense to the surrounding (Rookes and Willson 2000). Rachel comes across as a person who clearly does not understand or comprehend her surrounding. As she sought answers from the nurse to understand where she was, made it clear that she could not relate to her surroundings. This also clearly states that her perception, or ability to process, think or ability to relate to a particular surrounding was missing. This happens to patients or people who are disturbed. These people are very engrossed in their own world and with their problems. Analysis of her behavior also brought forth the fact that she was able to imagine things that were not present or did not exists at all. She states seeing crawling creatures and heard voices, which the hospital people were not able to see or listen. This makes it sure that Rachel had problems in comprehending her close environment and situations. The problem areas were basically around the fact that she could hear and see unimaginable things. Thus, it can be said that Rachel’s faculty to perceive things, especially see or hear things and process that information are the problem areas. She cannot identify her immediate surrounding and on the other hand creates an imaginary surrounding. Question 3 Define both ‘affect’ and ‘mood’. How would you describe Rachel’s mood and the range and intensity of her affect? (Word limit 300 words) The term refers to an experience of emotions or feeling. It is a key part of the module or process when an organism interacts with stimuli. It also refers to affect display which can be facial, vocal or behaviour with more gestures. The word or term affect can be indicative of reactions that are instinctive which can occur before the cognitive considered necessary for forming a complex emotion. (Blechman, 1990). An affective state or a situation can be termed as mood. On the other hand, emotions have stark focus which is very clear. While, mood can be diffused or unfocused. According to Batson, Oleson and Shaw (1992), mood can involve intensity or tone and a set of beliefs that can have general expectations of the experiences that can be enjoyed in the future. It can be pain that a person has to endure or a negative affect that has to be gone through due to the effect in the past. Unlike the reaction which can be taken in haste which can produce affect or emotion, and can change with the turn of an event, mood is always unfocused and diffused. Thus, becomes hard to cope up with, it can last for longer period of time, days, months and years. (Schucman, 1975). Moods are a depiction of a person in a emotional state of mind. Many behavioural references are a result of moods that swing between positive and negative. (Blechman, 1990). While understanding the pattern in Rachel’s behaviour, it has been studied that she showcases variety of moods. Most of the times, she will like to kept away from the crowd, she likes to be alone and aloof. But on the other hand, sometimes, she is able to comprehend her surrounding and make sense in the interactions. She is sometimes very uncontrollable and violent. Most of times, her reactions are in accordance to her mood and affect is the way she reacts by violently breaking things. For instance, she clasped her hands on her hear by stating that she could hear some voices and eventually is scared. Her mood depicts the reactions and she starts howling and crying profusely. Question 4 From the details in the Case Study, how would you describe her behaviour and her appearance? (Word limit 300 words) An important part of the clinical assessment in the psychiatric practice is to examine the mental status of the patient. Often abbreviated as MSE, it is also known as mental state examination in UK and Australia. It is defined way of describing and observing patient state of mind in the current state. It can be under the domain of attitude, mood, and appearance, thought process, perceptions, insight and cognition. Disorders in the activities are also known as abnormalities of activity (Hamilton 1985). It includes some very exclusive observations of abnormal behaviour and also general observations. These observations can be based on arousal, level of activity, and offcourse the gait and eye contact. If a patient shows the inability to sit at one place can be termed as akathisia, which may be a side effect of antipsychotic medicine. Alternatively, lower movement or physical inability showcased by a person is often stated to be in depression. As mentioned in the medical term Parkinson’s dementia, or also called delirium. Most of time, the examiner will also comment in the eye movements, the quality of eye contact can define the behaviour of a person. Lack of eye contact is considered to be Autism (Sims 1995). While studying the behaviour of Rachel, she showcased the case of acute depression. Change in behaviour constantly and lack of behavoir maintained consistently put froth the fact that Rachel is suffering from delirium. This can be caused by drugs abuse. Clinicians also access the physical aspects of human, which can be the appearance of the patient, height, weight, grooming and the way the person is dressed. Bizzare clothing is often suggested as mania. On the other hand, if a person unkempt, clothes are dirty, suggest drug abuse, (Trzepacz and Baker 1993). In Rachel’s case, she is very poorly dressed. Clad in a jeans and a dirty shirt, gave indications that she was depressed. Marks on her hand, also suggested that she was also taking drugs through intervenous. Question 5 How might you communicate with Rachel until the psych team arrives? How might you also communicate with your colleagues, the security guard and, her mother? Please note there is no one true and correct way to do this so please supply reasons for why you have communicated as above? (Word limit 300 words) It is always very difficult to strike conversation with a person who is in acute depression. Coupled with this, if the person has been out of control and drugs abused, it becomes a challenge to handle the case. In this case, a lot of empathy, tact, patience are some of the factors through which one can talk to patience like Rachel. In order to attain maximum time with Rachel, I plan to be very patient. It is imperative to understand her behaviour and study the pattern showcased. Taking notes of repeated actions and noting down the pattern should help the team of people treating her. While the psych team can talk with Rachel to understand her problems, it will be fruitful. I would try to make small talks with Rachel once she has calmed down. This will help her to trust me and she might confide some of her issues to me. However, my main concern till the arrival of the psych team would be to keep Rachel perfectly calm and quite, so that she can control her senses and is able to talk about her problems easily. Her behaviour would have induced panic and concern in her mother, while my colleagues and the security guards would be in an alert mode to tackle the situation. This might not be ideal for the patient. Therefore, I would ask her mother to remain quite and calm and help me in controlling the patient as Rachel trusts her mother. I would ask my colleagues and the security guard to relax and leave the room. However, I would ask them to remain nearby, in case help is needed to restrain the patient. References: Ashcraft, Mark H. 2006, Cognition, Pearson Prentice Hall. Rookes, Paul and Willson, Jane 2000, ‘Introduction to Perception’, Perception: Theory, Development and Organisation, Routledge, pp. 1. Batson, C.D., Shaw, L. L., Oleson, K. C. 1992. Differentiating Affect, Mood and Emotion: Toward Functionally-based Conceptual Distinctions. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Schucman, H., Thetford, C. 1975. A Course in Miracle. New York: Viking Penguin Blechman, E. A. 1990. Moods, Affect, and Emotions. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Hillsdale, NJ Trzepacz, Paula T; Baker, Robert 1993. The psychiatric mental status examination. Oxford: Oxford University Press Hamilton, Max 1985. Fish's clinical psychopathology. London: John Wright. Sims, A. G. 1995. Symptoms in the mind: an introduction to descriptive psychopathology. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. Read More