title: The role of low cognitive effort and negative symptoms in neuropsychological impairment in schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Two experiments were conducted to examine whether insufficient effort, negative symptoms (e.g., avolition, anhedonia), and psychological variables (e.g., anhedonia and perception of low cognitive resources) predict generalized neurocognitive impairment in individuals with schizophrenia (SZ).
  
  
  METHODS
  In Experiment 1, participants included 97 individuals with SZ and 63 healthy controls (CN) who completed the Victoria Symptom Validity Test (VSVT), the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and self-report anhedonia questionnaires. In Experiment 2, participants included 46 individuals with SZ and 33 CN who completed Green's Word Memory Test (WMT), the MCCB, and self-reports of anhedonia, defeatist performance beliefs, and negative expectancy appraisals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RESULTS indicated that a low proportion of individuals with SZ failed effort testing (1.0% Experiment 1; 15.2% Experiment 2); however, global neurocognitive impairment was significantly predicted by low effort and negative symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings indicate that low effort does not threaten the validity of neuropsychological test results in the majority of individuals with schizophrenia; however, effort testing may be useful in SZ patients with severe negative symptoms who may be more likely to put forth insufficient effort due to motivational problems. Although the base rate of failure is relatively low, it may be beneficial to screen for insufficient effort in SZ and exclude individuals who fail effort testing from pharmacological or cognitive remediation trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton.
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton.
authors.forename: Lindsay F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton.
authors.forename: Sara K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires