ASSOCIATED POLARIZATION - A BASIC CHARACTERISTIC FEATURE OF SCHIZOPHRENIC MENTAL ACTIVITY

The polarization of mental activity is regarded as a fundamental, inhe rent feature of normal functioning. The present work is based on the s tudy of 481 schizophrenic patients and 480 controls (250 healthy perso ns and 230 patients, suffering from neuroses, psychogenic psychoses an d depression). The patients were examined both by a clinical diagnosti c interview and by means of 25 psychological tests (some of them const ructed by the authors). The results reveal the presence of polarizatio n between several pairs of opposite categories: concrete/theoretical-a bstract; detailization/ generalization; extraversion/introversion; act ivity/passivity; simultaneousness/sequence; discontinuance/continuity; monoligicity/dialogicity; helplessness/ philosophic meaningfulness. T his simultaneous presence of opposite tendencies is termed ''associate d polarization''. The latter is ''promoted to the rank'' of a basic di sorder of the schizophrenic mind. An attempt is made at its psychphysi ological interpretation.