Affect Judgement and Facial Recognition Memory in Schizophrenia

Two experiments are described in which the performance of schizophrenic subjects was investigated, using tests of affect judgement and recognition memory for faces (Warrington), words, and semi-abstract patterns. Schizophrenic subjects were impaired in their ability to describe the emotional states portrayed by actors and presented on video and were more likely to comment on the physical description of the actor or to fail to comment on the emotion at all. Performance on the Warrington Recognition Memory Test for faces suggests a marked impairment in schizophrenia, although impaired performance on recognition memory tests for words and patterns indicates that this abnormality may not be specific for faces.