PSY 245 Lecture Notes - Lecture 30: Reduced Affect Display, Oral Stage, Schizophrenia
Document Summary
Disturbed emotional response in schizophrenia may involve negative symptoms, such as a loss of normal affect or emotional expression, which is labeled blunted affect or flat affect. Flat affect is observed by the absence of emotional expression in the face and voice. People with schizophrenia may speak in a monotone and maintain an expressionless face, or mask . People who suffer from schizophrenia may become confused about their personal identities the cluster of attributes and characteristics that define themselves as individuals and give meaning and direction to their lives. They may fail to recognize themselves as unique individuals and be unclear about how much of what they experience is part of themselves. In psychodynamic terms, this phenomenon is sometimes referred to as loss of ego boundaries. Disturbances of volition are most often seen in the residual or chronic state and are negative symptoms characterized by loss of initiative to pursue goal-directed activities.
