[Problems of the regulation of mental activity in schizophrenia]

In schizophrenic patients, performance was compared in cognitive tasks differing in the role played by social mediation in their structure. Worsening performance was regularly observed in activities including the assessment of social factors: past social experience, common social patterns, concepts and modes of action, orientation to other people. The patients' performance increased with introduction of motivating cues. The data are consistent with the initial hypothesis of the need-motivation component of social regulation of psychic activity being reduced in schizophrenic patients.