Changes in primary process expression in hospitalized schizophrenics treated with phenothiazines: two projective tasks compared.

It was hypothesized that primary process expression on Gottschalk's Five Minute Verbalization Task (FMV) would be more representative of clinical status in schizophrenia than primary process expression on the Rorschach. Ss were 21 males and 15 females, ages 19-41 years, newly admitted to the hospital and treated with phenothiazines. The FMV was administered at predrug, five weeks, and 13 weeks, and the Rorschach at predrug and five weeks. Primary process scoring was according to the Holt system. Clinical improvement was measured by the Lorr IMPS and the Burdock Ward Behavior Scale. Over time, Ss produced less primary process on the FMV (p less than .001), while on the Rorschach scores did not change significantly. The scores on the FMV but not on the Rorschach paralleled some measures of clinical improvement (p less than .05). In a factor analysis, scores on the FMV and Rorschach were related to specific but different symptoms. It was concluded that the FMV was more effective in determining clinical improvement, while the Rorschach was perhaps more valuable in assessing the nature of the primary process thinking.