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. 2012;7(5):e34147.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0034147. Epub 2012 May 16.

Experience of pleasure and emotional expression in individuals with schizotypal personality features

Yan-fang Shi  1 , Yi Wang, Xiao-yan Cao, Ya Wang, Yu-na Wang, Ji-gang Zong, Ting Xu, Vincent W S Tse, Xiao-lu Hsi, William S Stone, Simon S Y Lui, Eric F C Cheung, Raymond C K Chan
Affiliations

Experience of pleasure and emotional expression in individuals with schizotypal personality features

Yan-fang Shi et al. PLoS One. 2012.

Abstract

Difficulties in feeling pleasure and expressing emotions are one of the key features of schizophrenia spectrum conditions, and are significant contributors to constricted interpersonal interactions. The current study examined the experience of pleasure and emotional expression in college students who demonstrated high and low levels of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) traits on self-report questionnaires. One hundred and seventeen subjects with SPD traits and 116 comparison controls were recruited to participate. Cluster analyses conducted in the SPD group identified negative SPD and positive SPD subgroups. The negative SPD group exhibited deficient emotional expression and anticipatory pleasure, but showed intact consummatory pleasure. The positive SPD group reported significantly greater levels of anticipatory, consummatory and total pleasure compared to the control group. Both SPD groups reported significantly more problems in everyday memory and greater levels of depressive and anxiety-related symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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