Emotion in schizophrenia: Old mystery, new understanding

Early theories of schizophrenia emphasized emotional features, yet empirica l research into the nature of emotion in schizophrenia has only recently be en conducted. Drawing from the paradigms developed by emotion researchers a nd theorists, a number of replicable findings on; emotion in schizophrenia have now emerged. Compared with nonpatients, schizophrenia patients exhibit very few outward displays of emotion, yet they exhibit subtle, microexpres sive displays. Schizophrenia patients report experiencing strong emotions i n response to emotional material, yet they do not often report experiencing strong pleasant emotions in daily Living. These emotion disturbances have important social and intervention implications, and they point to a number of important directions for research.