The cognitive orientation of expressive communicability in schizophrenics and normals

The study dealt with expressive communicability (EC), i.e., the amount, fluency, elaboration, clarity, and veracity of the voluntarily transmitted information about oneself. Low EC is considered as a schizophrenic symptom and as a cause of interpersonal difficulties in normals. For investigating the motivational antecedents of EC we applied the cognitive orientation (CO) theory that deals with explaining, predicting, and manipulating behaviors by means of cognitive contents and processes. The hypotheses were that schizophrenics would have fewer positive and more negative EC manifestations than normals, and that beliefs of four types would predict EC in both groups. Subjects were 30 hospitalized schizophrenics and 30 matched normals of both genders. They were administered individually the CO questionnaire and role-playing situations providing EC scores. Hospital personnel and close acquaintances answered a 13-item questionnaire about the subjects' EC. The findings confirmed the hypotheses: schizophrenics differed from normals on all EC measures, and the beliefs predicted 81%-100% EC measures in each group and the whole sample. The discussion focused on theoretical implications for cognitive motivation, the similarity of the motivational processes in schizophrenics and normals, and therapeutic implications for changing EC by changing the relevant beliefs.