A theoretical discussion of divergent findings in the research on psychological deficit in schizophrenia is based on an examination of (a) studies contrasting schizophrenics and normals on tasks varying in complexity, (b) evidence that schizophrenics show a higher base level of arousal than normals, and (c) the effect of variations in arousal on task efficiency. It is concluded that an inverted-U relationship between level of arousal and performance efficiency in conjunction with related tenets of drive theory account for apparent inconsistencies in previous research. There is a need to differentiate the performance deficits of highly aroused individuals, regardless of diagnosis, from performances specifically characteristic of schizophrenia.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AtkinsonR. L.RobinsonN. M.Paired-associate learning by schizophrenic and normal subjects under conditions of personal and impersonal reward and punishment. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1961, 62, 322–326.
2.
BannisterD.SalmonP.Schizophrenic thought disorder: specific or diffuse?British Journal of Medical Psychology, 1966, 39, 215–219.
3.
BerkunM.BialekH.KernR.YagiK.Experimental studies of psychological stress in man. Psychological Monographs, 1962, 76, No. 15 (Whole No. 534).
4.
BerlyneD. E.Conflict arousal and curiosity. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960.
5.
BroadhurstP. L.Emotionality and the Yerkes-Dodson law. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1957, 54, 345–353.
6.
BroenW. E.Schizophrenia: research and theory. New York: Academic Press, 1968.
7.
BussA. H.LangP. J.Psychological deficit in schizophrenia: I. Affect, reinforcement, and concept attainment. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1965, 70, 2–24.
CavanaughD.CohenW.LangP. J.The effect of “social approval” on the psychomotor performance of schizophrenics. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1960, 60, 213–218.
10.
ChapmanJ.McGhieA.A comparative study of disordered attention in schizophrenia. Journal of Mental Science, 1962, 108, 487–500.
11.
CichettiD. V.KleinE. B.FontanaA. F.SpohnH. E.A test of the censure-deficit model in schizophrenia, employing the Rodnick-Garmezy visual-discrimination task. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1967, 72, 326–334.
12.
ClaridgeG. S.Personality and arousal. Oxford: Pergamon, 1967.
13.
DavisR. H.HarringtonR. W.The effect of stimulus class on the problem-solving behavior of schizophrenics and normals. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1957, 54, 126–128.
14.
DuffyE.Activation and behavior. New York: Wiley, 1962.
15.
DunnW. L.Visual discrimination of schizophrenic subjects as a function of stimulus meaning. Journal of Personality, 1954, 23, 48–64.
16.
FarberI. E.Anxiety as a drive state. In JonesM. R. (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1954. Lincoln: Univer. of Nebraska Press, 1954. Pp. 1–46.
17.
FarinaA.DunhamR. M.Measurement of family relationships and their effects. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1963, 9, 64–73.
18.
FarinaA.HolzbergJ. D.DiesR. R.Influence of the parents and verbal reinforcement on the performance of schizophrenic patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1969, 74, 9–15.
19.
FontanaA. F.KleinE. B.CichettiD. V.The relationship between diagnosis and premorbidity to conformity to parental surrogates. Paper read at a meeting of the Eastern Psychological Association, New York, April, 1966.
20.
FreemanG. L.The energetics of human behavior. Ithaca: Cornell Univer. Press, 1948.
21.
GarmezyN.Stimulus differentiation by schizophrenic and normal subjects under conditions of reward and punishment. Journal of Personality, 1952, 21, 253–276.
22.
GundersonE. K.Autonomic balance in schizophrenia. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Univer. of California, Los Angeles, 1953.
23.
HuffF. W.Learning and psychopathology. Psychological Bulletin, 1964, 61, 459–468.
24.
HuntJ. McV.CoferC.Psychological deficit in schizophrenia. In HuntJ. McV. (Ed.), Personality and the behavior disorders. Vol. 2. New York: Ronald, 1944. Pp. 971–1032.
25.
JanisI. L.Effects of fear arousal on attitude change: recent developments in theory and experimental research. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1967, 3, 166–224.
26.
KleinE. B.CichettiD. V.SpohnH. A.A test of the censure-deficit model and its relation to premorbidity in the performance of schizophrenics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1967, 72, 174–181.
27.
KornetskyC.EliassonM.Reticular stimulation and chlorpromazine: an animal model for schizophrenic overarousal. Science, 1969, 165, 1273–1274.
28.
LaceyJ. I.The evaluation of autonomic responses: toward a general solution. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1956, 67, 123–164.
29.
LaceyJ. I.Somatic response patterning and stress: some revisions of activation theory. In AppleyM. H.TrumbullR. (Eds.) Psychological stress. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1967. Pp. 14–42.
30.
LaceyJ. I.VanLehnR.Differential emphasis in somatic response to stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 1952, 14, 73–81.
31.
LangP. J.The effect of aversive stimuli on reaction time in schizophrenia. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1959, 59, 263–268.
32.
LangP. J.BussA. H.Psychological deficits in schizophrenia: II. Interference and activation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1965, 70, 77–106.
33.
LudwigA. M.WoodB. S.DownsM. P.Auditory studies in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 1962, 119, 122–127.
34.
MalmoR. B.Measurement of drive: an unsolved problem in psychology. In JonesM. R. (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1958. Lincoln: Univer. of Nebraska Press, 1958. Pp. 44–105.
35.
MalmoR. B.Activation: a neuropsychological dimension. Psychological Review, 1959, 66, 367–386.
36.
MaysL. L.Studies of catatonia: V. Investigation of the perseverational tendency. Psychiatric Quarterly, 1934, 8, 728–735.
37.
McGhieA.ChapmanJ.Disorders of attention and perception in early schizophrenia. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 1961, 34, 103–116.
38.
MednickS. A.A learning theory approach to schizophrenia. Psychological Bulletin, 1958, 55, 316–327.
39.
MednickS. A.DeVitoR.Associative competition and verbal learning in schizophrenia. Paper read at Eastern Psychological Association, Philadelphia, April, 1958.
40.
MirskyA. F.Neuropsychological bases of schizophrenia. Annual Review of Psychology, 1969, 20, 321–348.
41.
OslerS. F.Intellectual performance as a function of two types of psychological stress. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1954, 47, 115–121.
42.
RappaportM.HopkinsH. K.Drug effects on auditory attention in paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenics. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1969, 148, 597–605.
43.
ReynoldsD. J.An investigation of the somatic response system in chronic schizophrenia. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Univer. of Pittsburgh, 1962.
44.
RodnickE. H.GarmezyN.An experimental approach to the study of motivation in schizophrenia. In JonesM. R. (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 1957. Lincoln: Univer. of Nebraska Press, 1957. Pp. 109–184.
45.
RoesslerR.AlexanderA. A.GreenfieldN. S.The relation of the Barron Ego Strength Scale to skin resistance, finger blood volume, heart rate, and muscle potential responses to sound. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1963, 8, 142–154.
46.
SchnoreM. M.Individual patterns of physiological activity as a function of task differences and degree of arousal. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1959, 58, 117–128.
47.
ShipleyW. C.Studies of catatonia: VI. Further investigation of the perseverational tendency. Psychiatric Quarterly, 1934, 8, 736–744.
48.
SilvermanJ.BergP. S.KantorR.Some perceptual correlates of institutionalization. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1965, 141, 651–657.
49.
SpenceK. W.TaylorJ. A.The relation of CR strength to anxiety in normal, neurotic, and psychotic Ss. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1953, 45, 265–272.
50.
StilsonD. W.KopellB. S.The recognition of visual signals in the presence of visual noise by psychiatric patients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 1964, 139, 209–221.
51.
StreinerD. L.Effects of task complexity and verbal evaluation on the learning of normals and schizophrenics. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 1969, 74, 606–611.
52.
TaylorJ. A.A personality scale of manifest anxiety. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1953, 48, 285–290.
53.
TaylorJ. A.SpenceK. W.Conditioning level in the behavior disorders. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1954, 49, 497–502.
54.
TuckerG.HarrowM.DetreT.HoffmanB.Perceptual experiences in schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic patients. Archives of General Psychiatry, 1969, 20, 159–166.
55.
WebbW. W.Conceptual ability of schizophrenics as a function of threat of failure. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1955, 50, 221–224.
56.
WhitemanM.The performance of schizophrenics on social concepts. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1954, 49, 226–271.
57.
WishnerJ.Efficiency: concept and measurement. In Proceedings of the XIVth International Congress of Applied Psychology. Vol. 2. Personality research. Copenhagen: Munksgaard, 1962. Pp. 161–187.
58.
ZahnT. P.Autonomic activity and behavior in schizophrenia. Psychiatric Research Reports, 1964, 19, 156–173.
