Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Level of anxiety as represented in skin resistance levels (SRLs) was measured 5 times throughout the day in 60 hospitalized schizophrenic patients. Ss were classified into 3 groups of varying lengths of history of schizophrenic disorder and further subdivided into groups remaining on tranquilizing medication and groups receiving no medication for 84 hr. prior to testing. The comparison group (medicated) mean SRL differed significantly from that of the experimental group (non-medicated) mean SRL thus demonstrating the relevant effect of removal of the experimental Ss from medication. The experimental Ss tended to show significantly less anxiety (increased SRLs) and more variable levels of anxiety (increased variation in SRL) as a function of increasing chronicity. These findings were interpreted as supporting Mednick's learning theory hypothesis regarding anxiety in schizophrenic disorder.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Carr

C. J.

Metabolic studies on psychoactive drugs. Annals New York Academy of Science, 1962, 96, 170–178.

Carson

R. C.

Intralist similarity and verbal rote learning performance of schizophrenic and cortically damaged patients. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1958, 57, 99–106.

Davis

J. M.

Efficacy of tranquilizing and antidepressant drugs. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1965, 13, 552–567.

Garmezy

Stimulus differentiation by schizophrenic and normal subjects under conditions of reward and punishment. Journal of Personality, 1952, 20, 253–276.

Gerz

H. O.

Combined psycho- and pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. International Journal of Neuropsychiatry, 1965, 1, 643–655.

Hall

K. R. L.

Crookes

T. G.

Studies in learning impairment: I. Schizophrenic and organic patients. Journal of Mental Science, 1951, 97, 725–737.

Howe

E. S.

GSR conditioning in anxiety states, normals, and chronic functional schizophrenic subjects. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1958, 56, 183–189.

Hunt

J. M. V.

Cofer

C. N.

Psychological deficit. In Hunt

J. M. V.

(Ed.), Personality and the behavior disorders. New York: Ronald, 1944.

Lindsley

O. R.

Characteristics of the behavior of chronic psychotics as revealed by free-operant conditioning methods. Disorders of the Nervous System, Monograph Supplement, 1960, 21, 66–78.

10.

MacKinnon

P. C.

Variations with age in the number of active palmar digital sweat glands. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 1954, 17, 124–126.

11.

Martin

The assessment of anxiety by physiological behavioral measures. Psychological Bulletin, 1961, 58, 234–255.

12.

Mays

L. L.

Studies of catatonia: V. Investigation of the perseverational tendency. Psychiatric Quarterly, 1934, 8, 728–735.

13.

Mednick

S. A.

Distortions in the gradient of stimulus generalization related to cortical brain damage and schizophrenia. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1955, 51, 536–542.

14.

Mednick

S. A.

A learning theory approach to research in schizophrenia. Psychological Bulletin, 1958, 55, 316–327.

15.

Murray

N. E.

Anxiety and overgeneralization: negative results. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1969, 74, 602–605.

16.

Paintal

A. S.

A comparison of the galvanic skin responses of normals and psychotics. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1951, 41, 425–428.

17.

Spence

K. W.

Taylor

J. A.

The relation of CR strength to anxiety in normal, neurotic, and psychotic Ss. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1953, 45, 265–272.

18.

Streiner

D. L.

Effects of task complexity and verbal evaluation on the learning of normals and schizophrenics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1969, 74, 606–611.

19.

Taylor

J. A.

Spence

K. W.

Conditioning level in the behavior disorders. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1954, 49, 497–502.

20.

Woods

P. J.

A test of Mednick's analysis of the thinking disorder in schizophrenia. Psychological Reports, 1961, 9, 441–446.

21.

Venables

D. H.

Martin

Skin resistance and skin potential. In Venables

D. H.

Martin

(Eds.) Manual of psycho-physiological methods. Amsterdam: North Holland, 1967. Pp. 53–102.

Length of History of Schizophrenic Disorder and Anxiety as Defined by Skin Resistance Level

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References