Affect and verbal-nonverbal discrepancy in schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic family communication.

Verbal and nonverbal communication of affect was examined in schizophrenic and control families, using audio tapes and transcripts of family interactions. In Study 1, data were available for parents interacting with their schizophrenic child (index session) or with a well child (well-sibling session), and for two parent-child sessions in normal families. In Study 2, data consisted of index sessions only with schizophrenic, non-schizophrenic psychiatric, and normal families. Audio tapes were electronically filtered, and ratings were obtained on nonverbal (filtered speech) and verbal (transcript) samples. The double-bind hypotheses of different nonverbal expression of affect and greater verbal-nonverbal discrepancy in schizophrenic as compared to normal families were not supported. In both studies no overall differences were found between diagnostic groups in terms of nonverbal ratings, indicating that clinical perceptions of inappropriate and conflicted affect in schizophrenic families are not based on spontaneously produced simultaneous discrepancy between verbal and nonverbal channels of spoken communication.