Asociality as a consequence of expressive negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A laboratory-based dyadic interaction study with subsequent ecological momentary assessment

• Applicant: Professorin Tania Marie Lincoln, Ph.D., since 10/2024
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 505548184

Asociality (i.e., low social motivation) and social withdrawal are important characteristics of the negative symptoms in schizophrenia and closely associated with low functioning levels. However, these symptoms cannot be managed sufficiently well with existing treatment approaches so that it seems important to gain a better understanding of their maintenance mechanisms. Another characteristic negative symptom of schizophrenia, diminished emotional expression (i.e., expressive negative symptoms, ENS), could play an important role in the maintenance of asociality. So far, two laboratory-based interaction studies have shown that particularly diminished smiling in dyadic interactions predicts a higher likelihood that people with schizophrenia are rejected by their interaction partners. In the planned project, these two previous studies will be replicated with an improved design. Additionally, the project will include a first investigation of the degree to which the negative consequences of diminished smiling affect the daily life of people with schizophrenia and whether this mechanism promotes a vicious cycle of expected and actual rejection, asociality, and social withdrawal. The project first involves a laboratory-based objective (i.e., via electromyography) assessment of the smiling behavior of n=28 people with schizophrenia with high ENS (high ENS SZ), n=47 people with schizophrenia with low ENS (low ENS SZ), and n=66 healthy control participants (HC) while engaging in a dyadic interaction with one of n=28 healthy interaction partners (One-With-Many-Design). The interaction partners rate their willingness for future interactions with high/low ENS SZ and HC. Subsequently, high/low ENS SZ and HC will participate in a 7-day ecological momentary assessment during which momentary levels of social motivation, social activity, and felt social exclusion are assessed at 8 time-points per day via smartphone. These parameters will then be associated with the laboratory-based interaction parameters and can be used to test for the presence of the postulated vicious cycle. The insights generated by the planned project can contribute to the development of novel treatment approaches for asociality. For example, such approaches could directly address the emotional expression of patients and engage with people in patients’ immediate social networks.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Dr. Marcel Riehle, until 10/2024