What emotional characteristic is often reduced in individuals with negative symptoms of psychosis?

Individuals with negative symptoms of psychosis experience a reduction in emotional expressiveness, which is characterized by diminished ability to show emotions and lack of motivation. This can manifest as a flat affect, where a person may not display the emotions that would typically be appropriate for a particular context. Unlike positive symptoms of psychosis, which involve the presence of abnormal thoughts or behaviors, negative symptoms reflect a decrease in the ability to experience or express emotions, leading to challenges in interpersonal relationships and social interactions.

In contrast to emotional expressiveness, characteristics such as creative self-expression, social interaction, and empathy toward others can still exist to some degree even in the presence of negative symptoms. For instance, individuals may still engage in social activities or exhibit empathy but may do so less frequently or with less intensity than individuals without negative symptoms. Thus, the most accurate understanding of the emotional characteristic that is commonly reduced in instances of negative symptoms in psychosis is emotional expressiveness.