not initiate actions spontaneously. Thus, patients with negative features have a specific problem with willed actions-namely, those actions for which is necessary to make a deliberate an conscious choice between several equally plausible options (Andreasen, 1999). These negative symptoms include the lack of initiative and inability to relate to others that often results in the person withdrawing from society. “These symptoms also include emotional flatness or lack of expression, an inability to start and follow through with activities, speech that is brief and lacks content, and a lack of pleasure or interest in life. “Negative” does not, therefore, refer to a person’s attitude, but a lack of certain characteristics that should be there” (Andreasen, 1999). The last major symptom of schizophrenia is bizarre behavior. Patients may talk to themselves, walk backward, laugh suddenly without explanation, make funny faces, or masturbate in public. In rare cases, they maintain a rigid, bizarre pose for hours on end. Alternately, they may engage in constant random or repetitive movements. At this point in time, experts are still not sure exactly what causes these symptoms to arise. According to some experts, one possible cause of schizophrenia may be heredity or genetics. “Experts think that some people inherit a tendency to schizophrenia. In fact, the disorder tends to run in families, but only among blood lines” (Andreasen, 1999). People who have family members with schizophrenia may be more likely to get the disease themselves. If both biological parents have schizophrenia, then there is nearly 40% chance that their child will get it too. Researcher has also shown that this happens even if the child is adopted and raised by mentally healthy adults. “In people who have an identical twin with schizophrenia, the chance of schizophrenia developing is almost 50% (Lawrie, Whalley, Kestelman, Abukmeil,...
