Negative Symptoms: flat affect, alogia & avolition (Psyc 460 - Chapter 14)

Diminished emotional expression

-also known as flat affect -person responds in an emotionally "flat" way, showing a dramatic reduction in emotional responsiveness & facial expression -speech is slow & monotonous, lacking normal vocal inflections -closely related to alogia

Negative symptoms

-consist of marked deficits or decreases in behavioral or emotional functioning

Alogia

-greatly reduced production of speech -verbal responses are limited to brief, empty comments

Avolition

-the inability to initiate or persist in even simple forms of goal-directed behaviors (dressing, bathing, or engaging in social activities) -person seems to be completely apathetic, sometimes, sitting still for hours at a time

Does everyone with schizophrenia experience negative symptoms?

No

When the negative symptoms are combined, they...

accentuate the isolation of the person with schizophrenia, who appears uncommunicative & completely disconnected from their environment