Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026
13:08
Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Emotion deficits in schizophrenia: timing matters.
Ann M Kring1, Marja Germans Gard, David E Gard
1Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, 3210 Tolman Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. akring@berkeley.edu
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|November 10, 2010
Summary
People with schizophrenia (n=31) show normal emotional responses to stimuli but do not sustain them afterward, unlike healthy controls (n=28). This suggests impaired emotional state maintenance in schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Psychology
- Neuroscience of Emotion
- Schizophrenia Research
Background:
- Research indicates individuals with schizophrenia do not exhibit deficits in reporting emotional experiences during stimulus presentation.
- The ability of individuals with schizophrenia to maintain emotional states for future behavioral guidance is under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether individuals with schizophrenia maintain emotional states in the absence of emotionally evocative stimuli.
- To compare immediate emotional responses and response maintenance between people with and without schizophrenia.
Main Methods:
- Assessed self-reported emotional experience and startle response magnitude during and after viewing emotional pictures.
- Compared 31 individuals with schizophrenia to 28 healthy controls.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found between groups in self-report or startle response magnitude during emotional picture viewing.
- Healthy controls maintained emotional responses after stimuli offset, whereas individuals with schizophrenia did not.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit intact immediate emotional responses but impaired maintenance of these responses.
- This suggests a deficit in emotional state persistence, potentially impacting future behavior regulation in schizophrenia.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
01:17Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a term introduced by Swiss psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler in 1911, describes a severe psychological disorder marked by profound disruptions in attention, thought processes, language, emotion, and interpersonal relationships. The core feature of schizophrenia is psychosis — a state characterized by a fundamental detachment from reality. This disconnection manifests through distorted logic, impaired perception, and atypical behavior, severely affecting the lives of those diagnosed.
01:30Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia indicate a reduction or absence of typical behaviors and emotional responses found in healthy individuals, while positive symptoms reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning.
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
01:29Biological Causes of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder, arises from a complex interplay of biological factors, including genetic predisposition, structural brain abnormalities, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and developmental irregularities. These factors collectively contribute to the onset and progression of the disorder, which typically manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
Genetic Factors in Schizophrenia
The genetic basis of schizophrenia is strongly supported by family and twin studies.
01:30Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: Hallucinations and Delusions
Schizophrenia is a complex mental health disorder that can manifest with various positive symptoms, including thought, movement, and behavior disorders. These symptoms significantly disrupt cognitive and motor functions, leading to profound effects on an individual's ability to engage with the world.
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
Thought Disorders
Disorganized and unusual thought processes mark thought disorders in schizophrenia. One key feature is disorganized speech, where an individual's conversation includes loosely...
01:20Personality Disorders: Schizotypal and Histrionic
Schizotypal personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder are two distinct psychological conditions classified under personality disorders, each characterized by unique behavioral patterns and social difficulties. Both disorders significantly affect interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being, leading to social isolation and frustration.
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Eccentric Behavior and Social Withdrawal
Schizotypal personality disorder is marked by odd or eccentric...
Schizotypal Personality Disorder: Eccentric Behavior and Social Withdrawal
Schizotypal personality disorder is marked by odd or eccentric...