Which statement best describes negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

• A. Negative symptoms include delusions and hallucinations.
• B. Negative symptoms are improvements in mood.
• C. Negative symptoms include flat affect, alogia, avolition, and social withdrawal.
• D. Negative symptoms are not observed in schizophrenia.

Answer: (C)

Negative symptoms are reductions or losses of normal functions. In schizophrenia, they show up as diminished emotional expression, slowed or sparse speech, a lack of motivation, and reduced social engagement. This set—flat affect, alogia, avolition, and social withdrawal—best captures those deficit-type features. Delusions and hallucinations, by contrast, are positive symptoms (they reflect added experiences), while mood improvements aren’t describing the deficit pattern of negative symptoms. Negative symptoms can occur in schizophrenia, so saying they aren’t observed isn’t accurate.