Motivation and performance in schizophrenia.

Abstract

Schizophrenic patients and normals learned a series of motor responses to successively presented visual stimuli; the schizophrenics and normals were each divided into 2 groups, Shock and Rapport, matched on an initial test, Pattern I. The shock groups were each tested on two subsequent tasks, Patterns II and HI. "The results showed a differential facilitative effect of the shock stimulation for the schizophrenic patients on Pattern IE but not on Pattern n. The schizophrenic rapport group declined in efficiency from Pattern II to HI, a result not seen in the shock group of patients or in either normal group. These findings were interpreted in terms of an inferred process of motivational dissipation during performance in schizophrenia.".