Metamotivation in people diagnosed with schizophrenia: A conceptual introduction and qualitative study

SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH

卷:243

Article

Hansen, Marie C.^1,4  Lynch, David A.¹  Stefancic, Ana²  Medalia, Alice³ 

[1] Columbia Univ, Dept Psychiat, Vagelos Coll Phys & Surg, New York Presbyterian, New York, NY USA

[2] Columbia Univ, Dept Psychiat, Vagelos Coll Phys & Surg, New York, NY USA

[3] Columbia Univ, New York State Psychiat Inst, Dept Psychiat, New York Presbyterian,Vagelos Coll Phys & Surg, New York, NY USA

[4] New York State Psychiat Inst & Hosp, 1051 Riverside Dr, New York, NY 10032 USA

关键词: Schizophrenia;    Metamotivation;    Motivational self-regulation;    Avolition;    Negative symptoms;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.schres.2021.06.003

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Negative symptoms, such as avolition, are considered to be some of the most debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia, yet the mechanisms that contribute to their formation and persistence are poorly understood. In this article, we introduce a novel concept, metamotivation, as having potential implications for avolition, a core negative symptom. Metamotivation is defined as the ability to identify, monitor, and self-regulate motivation in service of goal attainment. In order to explore the potential applicability of metamotivation to schizophrenia spectrum populations, qualitative data from semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed from 21 people diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Four core themes emerged from the analysis: motivation as unmalleable, motivation as self- regulated primarily through rewards and/or a focus on task outcome, motivation as effortless actions, and motivation as a pleasurable feeling. We discuss these findings with respect to potential inadequacies/errors in motivational knowledge that may occur in people with schizophrenia, which may in turn be implicated in the development and maintenance of avolition. We conclude that metamotivation is a valuable concept for understanding schizophrenia with important research and clinical implications.

【 授权许可】

Free