Autonomic responses of paranoid, nonparanoid schizophrenic, and normal subjects to affective visual stimulation.

This investigation utilized a procedure designed to determine patterns of cognitive appraisal, and autonomic reactivity which characterize groups of normals, and paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenics. Results indicated that both groups of schizophrenics evidenced electrodermal habituation and increased finger pulse constriction. Normals indicated that stress stimuli became less disturbing over trials and displayed both electrodermal and digital vasomotor habituation. Electrodermal habituation curves for paranoids and normals were similar, with nonparanoids evidencing slower habituation. Paranoids tended to under-rate or deny their emotional reactions.