What are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

• A. Avolition, alogia, anhedonia, flat affect, asociality.
• B. Hallucinations, disorganized speech, and paranoid delusions.
• C. Rapid mood swings with cycling.
• D. Tics and compulsive behaviors.

Answer: (A)

Negative symptoms are reductions in normal functions, involving motivation, expression, and social engagement. Avolition is a marked decrease in the drive to initiate and sustain purposeful activities. Alogia refers to diminished speech output or thought content. Anhedonia is a diminished ability to experience pleasure. Flat affect means reduced facial expression and emotional responsiveness. Asociality describes withdrawal from social interactions. These deficits contrast with positive symptoms, which are new experiences like hallucinations, disorganized speech, and delusions. The other options describe mood-related changes or motor/behavioral phenomena rather than the core negative symptom cluster. So, the combination listed here best reflects the negative symptoms.