Production of associative sequences in process-reactive schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic groups.

A previous study (Judson & Katahn, 1960) disclosed significant differences between process-reactive schizophrenics in the recall of friends' names over a 10-minute interval. The differences were greater than would have been expected from their recall of animal names and IQ scores. This was interpreted as reflecting a special restriction in interpersonal relationships in a generally impoverished relationship with the environment. The present study sought to extend the findings and employed both schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic patients. Both the process-reactive dimension and diagnostic category made significant independent and interacting contributions to the recall of friends' names, that is, the material with social connotations, but not to the recall of animal names. By subgroups, the rank order of recall from least to greatest, was process schizophrenics, process nonschizophrenics, reactive schizophrenics, reactive nonschizophrenics. The process-reactive distinction thus proved meaningful for nonschizophrenic as well as schizophrenic patients on this material. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)