Rate of Formation of Associations by Schizophrenic and Normal Subjects as a Function of Stimulus or Response Placement of Aversive Components
This study investigated the formation by schizophrenic and non-psychotic Ss of associations involving neutral and aversive stimulus components in two paired-associate paradigms. Both groups of Ss tended to form associations involving aversive stimuli faster than those involving neutral stimuli in both paradigms. These results were in marked contrast to those of a previous study in which the identical aversive words served as responses. The discrepancies in findings of the two studies were discussed in terms of certain characteristics of aversive words and differential reactions to them.