students were given inconsistent positive and negative blocks of written narrative information from which to rate the character of a stranger, i received the information in positive-negative order and \ in negative-positive. Ratings were made after each block of information and again 1 to 9 days later. Initial ratings based on single univalent paragraphs were significantly altered in both groups by subsequent incompatible information, but the change was not equally permanent for both orders of presentation. Whereas originally positive impressions were lastingly changed by negative information, originally negative impressions which had been revised upward became significantly more negative again within 9 days. Replication with different information about the stranger (inversion of original content) yielded the same results.

This study tested the hypothesis that schizophrenics behave in a bizarre manner in order to avoid intense interpersonal relationships. The experimental design was a naturalistic interview paradigm based on the work of J. Haley and S. M. Jourard in 1963 and 1964, respectively. Results clearly showed that schizophrenics were markedly delusional and autistic in response to a demand (via modeling by the £) that they reveal their personal feelings and experiences about several emotion-laden topics. In direct contrast, nonpsychotic psychiatric patients met task demands by intimately disclosing their feelings. Requests for superficial disclosure resulted in no differences among groups. The findings provided strong support for the Sullivan-Cameron-Haley position that the bizarre language of schizophrenics is a function of the threat of interpersonal relationships and generally provided validating evidence for Haley's communication theory of psychopathology and Jourard's self-disclosure model.A compelling interpretation of the bizarre thought processes of schizophrenics is that their source and maintenance lie in severely disturbed interpersonal relationships (Cameron, 1938(Cameron, , 1947Haley, 1963;Sullivan, 1944). The schizophrenic's interpersonal experiences have been presumably so noxious that he has opted for a life style which negates interpersonal relationships via his use of nonconsensual, autistic language. Empirical studies have demonstrated that schizophrenics are inferior to normals on tasks involving social stimuli. Lebow and Epstein (1963) found that schizophrenics told their poorest

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