Motivation, volition, and ambivalence: A contribution to understanding of long-term impairments among schizophrenic patients

Traditional concepts of avolition (Kraepelin) and ambivalence (Bleuler) amo ng schizophrenic patients can be interpreted in the light of present ideas of motivation and volition. Accordingly schizophrenic patients are marked b oth by oppositional high hope and fear components of implicit motives and b y the impairment of volitional selfregulation, which both are vulnerability , factors. In an environment lacking stimuli the patients cannot surpass th eir ambivalence through volitional selfregulation and remain passive. In th is study 61 schizophrenic patients are compared with a control group of 69 nonpatients. As expected, the schizophrenic patients show significant highe r fear components of the implicit affiliation, achievement, and power motiv es, as well as an Increased hope component of the affiliation motive. The c omparison of subgroups of schizophrenic patients, with distinguishing sympt oms reveals no differences, which supports the assumption of stable traits.