Chen Li Frontiers in Psychological Science Lecture Series | Academic Report by Professor Thomas Whitford Successfully Held
On April 19th, Professor Thomas Whitford from the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales, Australia, was invited to attend the Chen Li Frontiers in Psychological Science Lecture Series hosted by the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Science. He delivered a professional lecture titled Self/World and Schizophrenia for faculty and students.
Before the lecture began, Dr. Liyu Cao introduced Professor Thomas Whitford's main research areas, honors, and achievements to the attending faculty and students. Professor Thomas Whitford's research focuses on using electroencephalography (EEG) to explore the neural basis of schizophrenia. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Sydney in 2007 and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at Harvard University and the University of Melbourne. His key work has been published in high-impact journals such as Molecular Psychiatry, Biological Psychiatry, and eLife.
During the lecture, Professor Whitford provided an in-depth exploration of the significant differences in how the brain processes self-generated sensory stimuli compared to externally generated sensory stimuli, and how these differences relate to characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia.
Professor Whitford pointed out that self-generated sensory stimuli are typically perceived as less salient than externally generated ones. Consistent with this phenomenon, self-produced stimuli, such as one's own voice, elicit weaker neural responses as measured by EEG compared to physically identical external stimuli—a phenomenon known as sensory attenuation. He further highlighted growing evidence indicating that individuals with schizophrenia exhibit abnormally low levels of sensory attenuation, which may explain their tendency to misattribute self-generated actions to external sources, thereby linking this mechanism to symptoms such as delusions of control. Throughout his presentation, Professor Whitford reviewed behavioral and electrophysiological evidence supporting the sensory attenuation deficit in schizophrenia. Finally, he extended the concept of self-generated actions to self-generated thoughts, offering a potential explanation for symptoms like thought insertion delusions in individuals with schizophrenia.
This lecture not only introduced cutting-edge research findings to our faculty and students but also provided new perspectives and insights for understanding the etiological mechanisms of schizophrenia. During the Q&A session that followed, participating faculty and students actively engaged in discussion, exchanging ideas with Professor Thomas Whitford in-depth. The event concluded successfully amid warm applause.
