The Predictability of Speech in Schizophrenic Patients

Abstract

SummaryPrevious research has suggested that schizophrenic speech is less predictable than normal speech. Two experiments designed to test the suggestion are reported, both of them based on Cloze Procedure. In the first, raters were asked to predict ten passages of schizophrenic speech and ten passages of normal speech under fourth-word deletion. No difference between the two types of passage was found. In the second, a modified form of presentation was introduced which prevented raters making use of the text which follows a blank. Once again, no difference was revealed between the schizophrenic and normal passages, and this was true for both the new and traditional forms of presentation, and for both fourth-word and fifth-word deletion patterns. The investigation is discussed in the light of previous findings, and a number of suggestions concerning methodology and forms of analysis are made for future research.