Reflection

Many people with schizophrenia have the symptom of anhedonia, which refers to diminished experience of pleasure. Interestingly, however, one of the most well-replicated affective science findings in schizophrenia is that people with schizophrenia report experiencing similar (or slightly less) amounts of pleasure and positive emotion compared to those without schizophrenia in the presence of emotionally evocative stimuli (e.g., films, food) and in daily life. If people with schizophrenia experience pleasure and positive emotion, how can they have anhedonia? Our research has shown that people with schizophrenia report expecting less pleasure from enjoyable activities, and experience less pleasure when anticipating future events, than people without schizophrenia. However, when participating in pleasant activities, people with and without schizophrenia report experiencing the same amount of pleasure. The example of anhedonia in schizophrenia illustrates the multifaceted nature of pleasure, showing that it emerges from interacting cognitive, affective, and motivational systems.