Learning of Abstract Responses by Process and Reactive Schizophrenic Patients

20 male patients rated as process schizophrenics were compared with 20 reactive schizophrenics and 20 non-psychiatric patients on a learning task designed to elicit increasing numbers of abstract responses. Only the process group did not manifest significant learning under the conditions of the study. Reactive schizophrenics and normals learned to respond more abstractly and there was no significant difference in over-all learning between these two groups. Results support the meaningfulness of the process-reactive distinction.