Motivation in Schizophrenic Performance: A Review

Johannsen, Walter J.

doi:10.2466/pr0.1964.15.3.839

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 193 publications

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“…The experimental literature on schizophrenic performance is quite consistent in reporting punishment and negative reinforcement to be the reinforcement paradigms most effective in reducing deficit (Broen, 1968;Buss & Lang, 1965;Johannsen, 1964;Silverman, 1963).2 However, when the evidence is limited t o social and verbal reinforcers, the consensus is not as apparent. On one hand are the well known propositions associated with Rodnick and Garmezy (1957)-i.e., that schizophrenics are hypersensitive to censure, which leads them to show more deficit in the face of noncontingent censure, but less when avoidance or escape from censure is contingent upon appropriate responding (Van Dyke & Routh, 1973).…”

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confidence: 98%

Verbal reinforcement combinations in schizophrenics

Martin

Moltmann

1978

J. Clin. Psychol.

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Investigated the effects of verbal reinforcement paradigms on hospitalized schizophrenics and staff. Positive reinforcement that involved good was found to be relatively ineffective for all groups; furthermore, associating good with the termination of a white noise did not increase its effectiveness for schizophrenics. Verbal punishment was more effective than verbal positive reinforcement for staff, but for schizophrenics only when explicit problem-solving instructions were given. The results suggest that the reduction of deficit is not more likely via verbal punishment; if anything, deficit is increased because of increased staff performance under verbal punishment.

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confidence: 98%

Verbal reinforcement combinations in schizophrenics

Martin

Moltmann

1978

J. Clin. Psychol.

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“…Further, there is now considerable evidence that schizophrenics, relative to normals, tend to learn faster and perform better-both of these as manifested in a wide variety of tasks-when punished for incorrect than when rewarded for correct responses (Silverman, 1963). While these relationships now appear to be more complex than originally conceived Guevara, 1965;Sherman, 1963), there is no doubt as to their general validity (Johannsen, 1964;Silverman, 1963), and they can reasonably be explained in part by the assumption that schizophrenics are relatively more highly motivated to avoid punishments than to attain rewards. This avoidance orientation, it should be noted, appears to apply to impersonal as well as to interpersonal situations (Atkinson & Robinson, 1961).…”

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confidence: 99%

Attitudes of schizophrenics and normals toward success and failure.

McReynolds¹,

Guevara²

1967

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that schizophrenics, as compared with normals, are relatively more highly motivated to avoid failure than to achieve success. A total of 291 Ss, including 136 hospitalized male schizophrenics, 103 normals, and--as a contrast group--52 neurotics, were administered the Success-Failure Inventory (SFI), a 22-item True-False instrument designed to assess attitudes toward success attainment and failure avoidance. As predicted, the schizophrenic samples manifested greater relative failure avoidance than the normals. Further, active schizophrenics evidenced greater relative failure avoidance than did remitted schizophrenics. Remitted schizophrenics and neurotics were not significantly different.

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“…Several authors have viewed schizophrenic "motivational deficits" as the result of sensitivity to criticism, social censure, and disapproval (Cameron, 1947;Johannsen, 1964;McReynolds, 1960;Rodnick & Garmezy, 1957;Sullivan, 1947). It appears that schizophrenics are more motivated to avoid censure than to gain reward.…”

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confidence: 99%

Evaluative feedback and aspiration statements of schizophrenics and normals.

Attkisson¹,

Anker²

1970

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

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Aspiration statements of schizophrenics and normals were elicited in three treatment conditions: response-contingent praise, response-contingent censure, and no evaluation. Task "performance scores" were predetermined by E and were identical for all Ss. Two dependent measures were examined: frequency of increased aspiration statements and magnitude of aspiration changes compared with prior "performance." Response-contingent censure resulted in greater frequency of increased aspiration statements for both diagnostic groups. However, censure differentially effected the magnitude of performance-aspiration differences, with schizophrenics showing greater magnitude of response. Results supported previous findings on attitudes of schizophrenics and normals toward success and failure and were congruent with theories of schizophrenic behavior which place emphasis on development of withdrawal patterns to avoid punishment. It was also indicated that schizophrenics' sensitivity to the aversive may be used constructively.Research on self-established goals of schizophrenics has focused on level of aspiration tasks as a method of investigating this aspect of verbal behavior. Hausmann (1933) and Winder (1952) reported that "nonparanoid" schizophrenics indiscriminately raise their aspiration statements after failure and lower them after success, while "paranoid" schizophrenics cling to high aspirations regardless of prior failure or achievement. This is in contrast to the widely accepted generalizations that successful performance increases level of aspiration among normals, while unsuccessful performance leads to a reduced level of aspiration. Miller (1951), comparing "paranoids" with normals, explained the paranoids' tendency to maintain unusually high aspiration statements as a maladaptive response to threat of failure. Later, Jost (1955) failed to replicate these earlier results with schizophrenics and suggested that the paranoidnonparanoid distinction was less relevant than the marked sensitivity to situations involving threats of failure which distinguished schizophrenics from normals. Norman (1962) also

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Motivation in Schizophrenic Performance: A Review

Cited by 9 publications

References 193 publications

Verbal reinforcement combinations in schizophrenics

Verbal reinforcement combinations in schizophrenics

Attitudes of schizophrenics and normals toward success and failure.

Evaluative feedback and aspiration statements of schizophrenics and normals.

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