Are there two kinds of thinking in process and reactive schizophrenics?

Abstract

A tentative formulation suggesting qualitative differences between process and reactive schizophrenics is presented. The cognitive deficit of reactive schizophrenics is seen as due to fragmentation of relatively normal thinking under stress or during acute disturbance (i.e., on admission). The fragmentation is suggested to result from interference due to excessive responsiveness to external stimuli and task demands. The process schizophrenics are viewed as idiosyncratic (underdeveloped) in thinking with their performance hampered by emotional withdrawal and disruption from internal stimuli. Interactions of the process-reactive dimension with stress conditions and institutionalization are inferred, since reactives' performance should vary with stress and time since admission, while process' performance should remain consistently low. Results of 11 studies from the context of the position arc presented.

Impaired recognition of self-expressed thought in patients with auditory hallucinations.

“…One way to explore the possible relations between locus of attention deployment, thought familiarity, and hallucinations is to use the premorbid status of the patient as the attentional index. At least three reviews of the schizophrenia literature have concluded that reactive and paranoid schizophrenics tend to deploy their attention so extensively to their external surroundings that they run the risk of stimulus flooding; in contrast, process and nonparanoid schizophrenics restrict their outward attention (DeWolfe, 1974;Silverman, 1964;Venables, 1964). De Wolfe's review is especially germane to the present discussion.…”

Schizophrenic and aphasic language: Discriminable or not?

“…Differences in performance between process and reactive schizophrenics were also expected, with reactive schizophrenics expected to show less deficit than process schizophrenics. This expected difference was based on theory (e.g., Broen, 1968;DeWolfe, 1974) and empirical findings of cognitive differences (e.g., Chapman & Chapman, 1973;Garmezy, 1970;Higgins, 1969), with reactive subjects predicted and usually found to have less deficit. The specific order of deficit from greatest to least for the four groups in the present investigation was predicted to be aphasic, process schizophrenic, reactive schizophrenic, and normal.…”

Cognitive Vulnerability to Auditory Hallucination Impaired Perception of Meaning

“…Several reviews of the literature on schizophrenia (DeWolfe, 1974;Silverman, 1964;Venables, 1964) have concluded that the premorbid status of the patient offers a reliable guide to how the attention is deployed. Reactive (i.e.…”