A01

• What is schizophrenia?

  A type of psychosis , a severe mental disorder in which thoughts and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality
• What are positive symptoms?

  Symptoms which reflect an excess or distortion of normal functioning
• What are negative symptoms?

  Symptoms which reflect a loss of normal functioning
• What are 2 positive symptoms of schizophrenia?

  Hallucinations and delusions
• What are 2 negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

  Speech poverty and avolition
• What are hallucinations?

  Sensory experiences of stimuli that have either no basis in reality or are distorted perceptions of things that are there
• What are delusions?

  Erroneous beliefs that hold no basis in reality
• What is speech poverty?

  The lessening of speech fluency and productivity, which reflects slowing or blocked thoughts
• What is avolition?

  • Loss of motivation to carry out tasks, resulting in lowered activity levels
  • Sufferer is unable to persist in or engage in goal-directed behaviour
• What are delusions of grandeur?

  A false impression of one's own importance
• What did Andreason identify as signs of avolition?

  Andreason (1982):

  1. Poor hygiene and grooming
  2. Lack of persistence in work/ education
  3. Lack of energy