Reduced emotional expression includes less facial movement, fewer expressive gestures and a voice with limited variation. It is often called blunted affect. The visible expression of emotion and the internal experience of emotion are separate…Continue Reading
Primary negative symptoms are understood as part of the underlying disorder rather than consequences of another identifiable problem. Secondary negative symptoms resemble them but arise through factors such as depression, ongoing paranoia, sedation or movement-related…Continue Reading
Reduced motivation refers to difficulty generating or sustaining purposeful activity. A person may want a different life yet struggle to begin basic tasks, attend appointments or pursue interests. Clinically this is often described as avolition.…Continue Reading
Reduced pleasure is called anhedonia. In schizophrenia, difficulty anticipating enjoyment can be more pronounced than an inability to enjoy something while it happens. Someone may predict that a meal or visit will be unrewarding, then…Continue Reading
Reduced speech, or alogia, involves speaking less spontaneously or providing unusually brief answers. It concerns the amount and elaboration of communication, rather than necessarily involving incoherent speech. A person may understand a conversation but contribute…Continue Reading