Lexical analysis of emotional responses to “real-world” experiences in individuals with schizophrenia

Abnormalities in emotion perception, expression, and experience are considered a core component of schizophrenia. Previous laboratory studies have demonstrated that while individuals with schizophrenia report levels of positive emotions comparable to healthy individuals in response to positive stimuli, they also report co-occurring negative emotions in response to such stimuli. However, it is unknown whether this response pattern extends to “real world” naturalistic environments. To examine this question, we employed an experience sampling method (ESM) approach using mobile electronic devices to collect information up to 10 times/day over a two-day period from 53 individuals with schizophrenia and 19 non-clinical controls. As part of each experience sample, participants completed brief open-ended responses and answered questions about their emotional responses to three recent events (neutral, positive, and negative). Additionally, participants completed diagnostic and clinical measures. Lexical analyses were used to analyze ESM-based word production and characterize emotion word use. Compared to non-clinical controls, individuals with schizophrenia reported similar levels of positive emotion, but significantly higher negative emotion, which was associated with increased negative symptoms. The schizophrenia group used more anxiety words in response to negative and neutral events, and more anger words in response to positive events. Increased use of anger words was linked with elevations in positive symptoms as well as symptoms of depression, while use of sadness words was linked with anhedonia. Our findings support the co-activation of negative emotion hypothesis documented in laboratory settings and provide evidence of its ecological validity. Implications for functioning and future directions are discussed.