The contribution of the cervix to sexual response: an online survey study.

BACKGROUND: The role of the cervix in sexual response has been poorly studied, despite previous research indicating that some women experience pleasurable sexual sensations from cervical stimulation; given previous reports of sexual issues after cervix electrocautery, it is possible that cervical injury may compromise the role of the cervix in sexual functioning. AIM: The aims of this study were to examine locations of pleasurable sexual sensations, to identify sexual communication barriers, and to investigate if cervical procedures are associated with negative impacts on sexual function. METHODS: Women with (n = 72) and without (n = 235) a history of a gynecological procedure completed an online survey assessing demographics, medical history, sexual function (including locations of sexual pleasure and pain on diagrams), and barriers. The procedure group was divided into subgroups of those who had experienced a cervical (n = 47) or noncervical (n = 25) procedure. Chi-square analyses and t tests were conducted. OUTCOMES: Outcomes included locations and ratings of pleasurable and painful sexual stimulation, as well as sexual function. RESULTS: Over 16% of participants reported experiencing some pleasurable sexual sensations from the cervix. The gynecological procedure group (n = 72) reported significantly higher pain in the vagina and lower rates of pleasure in their external genitals, vagina, deep vagina, anterior and posterior vaginal walls, and clitoris vs the non-gynecological procedure (n = 235) group. The gynecological procedure group and the cervical procedure subgroup (n = 47) reported significant decreases in desire, arousal, and lubrication and increased avoidance of sexual activity due to vaginal dryness. The gynecological procedure group reported significant pain with vaginal stimulation, whereas the cervical subgroup identified significant pain with cervical and clitoral stimulation. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Cervical stimulation elicits some pleasurable sexual sensations for many women, and gynecological procedures that affect the cervix are associated with pain and sexual issues; thus, health care providers should counsel patients about the possibility of related sexual concerns. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: This study is the first to examine locations of pleasure and pain and experiences of sexual pleasure and function in participants who underwent a gynecological procedure. A hybrid measure was used to assess sexual issues, including symptoms of dysfunction. CONCLUSION: Results indicate an association between cervical procedures and sexual issues, supporting the need to inform patients of this possibility following cervical procedures.

The Development of Emotion Understanding among Five- and Six-Year-Old Left-Behind Children in Rural China.

The left-behind children (LBC), separated from their mother/father or parents for a long period of time, have long been discussed as a subject of concern in China. Existing research has concluded that rural children who did not migrate with parents are subject to emotional risks. In the present study, the purpose is to study the impact of parental migration on early emotional understanding. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit 180 children aged five to six years in rural areas of Guangdong province, including LBC and non-left-behind children (NLBC). Their level of emotional understanding (EU) was assessed by the emotional comprehension test (TEC) adapted to the Chinese context. The results showed that, on the three levels (External, Internal, Reflective) of emotional understanding, LBC aged five- to six- years old scored significantly lower than NLBC as counterparts. On the whole, the emotional comprehension ability of preschool LBC was significantly lower than that of NLBC. However, there were no significant differences within LBC nurtured by single parents, grandparents, and other relatives. This study confirmed that parental migration in early childhood considerably impacted rural LBC's emotional understanding and affectional adjustment, which provided a significant basis for increasing parental care and early childhood companionship in rural areas.

The relationship between subjective well-being and food: a qualitative study based on children's perspectives.

PURPOSE: Despite the lack of consensus regarding which life satisfaction domains should be included in the study of children's subjective well-being (SWB), some domains are frequently considered, such as satisfaction with health. However, some others, such as satisfaction with food, are barely taken into account, despite the impact eating habits have on children's health and well-being. We adopt a qualitative approach to explore the role food plays in children's SWB, providing for a more in-depth analysis of children's perceptions and evaluations on a still insufficiently known domain of life satisfaction. METHOD: Sixteen discussion groups were held with 112 Spanish students (10-12 years old) from six schools. The transcripts were analy sed and themes reflecting the key concepts were defined using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the children's discourses on the relationship between food and SWB: health, pleasure, emotions, commensality-i.e., eating together-and food-empowerment-thus offering new insights from children's perspectives. CONCLUSION: Almost all of the participants established a relationship between their SWB and their eating behaviour, meaning that, within the challenges facing public health, SWB must be taken into account when promoting healthy eating programmes for children. Also, group discussion is found to be a very powerful tool for exploring topics with subjective connotations among child populations.

Does Exercise Modality Matter Affectively? Contrasting Type and Sequence of Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training Versus High-Intensity Interval Training in a Randomized Within-Subject Study.

Over the past two decades, affective determinants of exercise behavior have received increasing attention in research on health promotion and prevention. To date, however, little is known about changes in affective exercise determinants during multi-week training programs in insufficiently active individuals. This applies in particular to the currently discussed advantages and disadvantages of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) compared with moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) with regard to the affective experience of these two training types (e.g., reduced monotony vs. more aversive response during HIIT), which is important for exercise adherence. Referring to the Affect and Health Behavior Framework (AHBF), this within-subject study investigated changes in affective exercise determinants as a function of training type and sequence consisting of MICT and HIIT. Forty insufficiently active healthy adults (M age = 27 ± 6 years; 72% women) underwent two 6-week training periods in a randomized sequence (MICT - HIIT vs. HIIT - MICT) within 15 weeks. Pre-post questionnaires and in-situ measurements, during and after a standardized vigorous-intensity continuous exercise session (VICE), were used to assess affective attitude, intrinsic motivation, in-task affective valence, as well as post-exercise enjoyment. These four affect-related constructs were collected before, between, and after the two training periods. Mixed models revealed a significant effect for training sequence (p = 0.011) - but not for training type (p = 0.045; non-significant after Bonferroni alpha adjustment) - on changes in in-task affective valence in favor of the MICT - HIIT sequence. Moreover, no significant training type or sequence effects were found for the constructs of reflective processing: exercise enjoyment, affective attitude, and intrinsic motivation. Therefore, individual-based training recommendations should consider the effects of variety and training sequence to develop tailored interventions that lead to more positive affective experiences - in particular during exercise - and promote the maintenance of exercise behavior in previously inactive individuals.

Evaluating the feasibility and efficacy of a home-based combined high intensity interval and moderate intensity training program for increasing physical activity among low-active adults: A randomized pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: High intensity interval training (HIIT), which includes short bursts of high-intensity physical activity (PA) followed by recovery, can increase PA by addressing time barriers and improving PA enjoyment. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a home-based HIIT intervention on PA. METHODS: Low active adults (n = 47) were randomly assigned to a home-based HIIT intervention or wait-list control lasting 12 weeks. Participants in the HIIT intervention received motivational phone sessions based on Self-Determination Theory and accessed a website that included workout instructions and videos demonstrating proper form. RESULTS: The HIIT intervention appears feasible based on retention, recruitment, adherence to the counseling sessions, follow-up rates, and the consumer satisfaction survey. HIIT participants reported more minutes of vigorous intensity PA at six weeks relative to control (no differences at 12 weeks). HIIT participants reported higher levels of self-efficacy for PA, enjoyment of PA, outcome expectations related to PA, and positive engagement with PA than the control. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence for feasibility and possible efficacy of a home-based HIIT intervention for vigorous intensity PA; however, additional studies are needed with larger samples sizes to confirm efficacy of home-based HIIT interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Number: NCT03479177.

Task-Involving Motivational Climate and Enjoyment in Youth Male Football Athletes: The Mediation Role of Self-Determined Motivation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at examining the mediation role of self-determined motivation (identified and integrated regulation and intrinsic motivation) in the association between task-involving climate and enjoyment in youth male football athletes. METHODS: A total of 109 youth males (M = 14.38; SD = 1.55) were recruited to participate in this study. The survey included sociodemographic data and validated instruments such as the Motivational Climate Sport Youth Scale, the Behavioral Regulation Sport Questionnaire, and the Sports Enjoyment Scale. RESULTS: The results showed that the task-involving climate was a positive and significant predictor of integrated regulation and intrinsic motivation. In addition, integrated regulation and intrinsic motivation were positive and significant predictors of enjoyment. The results of the mediation analysis revealed a partial mediation role of self-determined motivation in the relationship between task-involving climate and enjoyment. Significant indirect effects only occurred through intrinsic motivation. CONCLUSIONS: Providing higher levels of enjoyment in the sport context could be an excellent option for leisure activities for children and youth, as long as self-determined motivation and task-involving climates provided by the coaches are present.

Associations of Social Networks with Physical Activity Enjoyment among Older Adults: Walkability as a Modifier through a STROBE-Compliant Analysis.

The available evidence suggests that social networks can contribute to physical activity (PA) enjoyment, which is necessary for the maintenance of PA over the life course. This study assessed the associations of active and sedentary social networks with PA enjoyment and ascertained whether walkability moderates or modifies these associations. A cross-sectional design compliant with STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) was employed. The participants were 996 community-dwelling older Ghanaians aged 50 years or older. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to analyse the data. After adjusting for age and income, the study found that the active social network size (ß = 0.09; p < 0.05) and sedentary social network size (ß = 0.17; p < 0.001) were positively associated with PA enjoyment. These associations were strengthened by walkability. It is concluded that active and sedentary social networks may better support PA enjoyment in more walkable neighbourhoods. Therefore, enabling older adults to retain social networks and live in more walkable neighbourhoods may be an effective way to improve their PA enjoyment.

A Matter of Taste: Roles of Taste Preference on Performance and Psychological Responses during Anaerobic Exercise.

Various tastes including sweet, bitter, and sour have been shown to differentially influence physiological and psychological processes. Furthermore, ingestion of bitter and sweet solutions has been shown to acutely enhance exercise performance. However, the taste is highly individualized, and it is unclear if preference influences the ergogenic potential of taste. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of preferred and non-preferred drink tastes on anaerobic performance and psychological responses thereof. Physically active females participated in two counterbalanced sprint trials each with a different condition: (1) non-preferred taste (NPT), (2) Preferred taste (PT). Participants self-reported taste preferences (sweet, sour, bitter) with the highest-ranked taste being used for the PT condition and the lowest-ranked for NPT. For each visit, participants completed a 15 s Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) prior to (PRE) ingestion of ~20 mL of their NP or PREF taste. Following ingestion, participants completed 2 min of active recovery, rated their taste preference of the solution, and completed another 15 s WAnT. The rate of perceived exertion (RPE), motivation, and enjoyment were measured through a visual analog scale following each WAnT. Anaerobic performance measures and heart rate (HR) were also obtained at the succession of each WAnT. Findings revealed no differences between taste conditions for mean power (p = 0.455), peak power (p = 0.824), or HR (p = 0.847). RPE was significantly lower with PT versus NPT (p = 0.006). Exercise enjoyment (p = 0.022) was higher with PT compared to NPT. NPT resulted in worse motivation compared to PRE (p = 0.001) while no changes were observed between PT and PRE (p = 0.197). These findings suggest that preferred drink taste may not enhance acute performance but improves psychological responses to maximal anaerobic exercise which may have implications for improving exercise training and adherence.

Physical activity as an investment or consumption good-a mixed methods approach.

Studying individuals' motivation to engage in physical activity raises the question of whether physical activity is a consumption good (enjoyment) or an investment good (a health investment). The aims of the study were: (i) What kind of motivational background is it possible to identify for different forms of physical activity among adults, and (ii) Is there an association between different motivational factors and the form and amount of physical activity among adults. A mixed methods approach was applied using interviews (n = 20) and a questionnaire (n = 156). The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. The quantitative data were analysed using factor and regression analysis. Among the interviewees, different types of motivation were found: 'enjoyment', 'health reasons' and 'mixed motivations', and from the quantitative data: (i) mixed motivation, a combination of enjoyment and investment, (ii) dislike of physical activity, (iii) social, (iv) goal focused, (v) appearance focused and (vi) exercising only within the comfort zone. Mixed-motivational background, with both enjoyment and investment in health, increased weekly physical activity hours significantly (ß = 1.733; p = 0.001). Personal appearance-based motivation increased weekly muscle training (ß = 0.540; p = 0.000) and brisk physical activity hours (ß = 0651; p = 0.014). Conducting such physical activity which provides enjoyment during the performance of the activity, increased weekly balance-focused exercise hours (ß = 0.224; p = 0.034). People have different kind of motivational backgrounds for engaging in physical activity. Mixed motivational background, including enjoyment and investment in health, yielded more physical activity in hours than if the person had only one of these motivations.

Pairing physical activity with pleasant associations could be a direction for effective physical activity promotion. It is important to enable people to test different physical activity types in order to find the type of physical activity which gives them most joy and pleasure. If one is conducting physical activity purely as an investment in health, the amount of activity is less than when the activity is combined with enjoyment. Getting pleasure from physical activity should be the main target when we try to increase physical activity among people who have previously not enjoyed physical activity.

Children endorse deterrence motivations for third-party punishment but derive higher enjoyment from compensating victims.

Children's punishment behavior may be driven by both retribution and deterrence, but the potential primacy of either motive is unknown. Moreover, children's punishment enjoyment and compensation enjoyment have never been directly contrasted. Here, British, Colombian, and Italian 7- to 11-year-old children (N = 123) operated a Justice System in which they viewed different moral transgressions in Minecraft, a globally popular video game, either face-to-face with an experimenter or over the internet. Children could respond to transgressions by punishing transgressors and compensating victims. The purpose of the system was framed in terms of retribution, deterrence, or compensation between participants. Children's performance, endorsement, and enjoyment of punishment and compensation were measured, along with their endorsement of retribution versus deterrence as punishment justifications, during and/or after justice administration. Children overwhelmingly endorsed deterrence over retribution as their punishment justification irrespective of age. When asked to reproduce the presented frame in their own words, children more reliably reproduced the deterrence frame rather than the retribution frame. Punishment enjoyment decreased while compensation enjoyment increased over time. Despite enjoying compensation more, children preferentially endorsed punishment over compensation, especially with increasing age and transgression severity. Reported deterrent justifications, superior reproduction of deterrence framing, lower enjoyment of punishment than of compensation, and higher endorsement of punishment over compensation together suggest that children felt that they ought to mete out punishment as a means to deter future transgressions. Face-to-face and internet-mediated responses were not distinguishable, supporting a route to social psychology research with primary school-aged children unable to physically visit labs.

Treatment-related changes in insomnia, anticipatory pleasure, and depression symptoms: A proof-of-concept study with cancer survivors.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Cancer survivors have elevated rates of insomnia and depression. Insomnia increases risk for depression onset, and the Integrated Sleep and Reward (ISR) Model suggests that impairments in reward responding (e.g., ability to anticipate and/or experience pleasure) plays a central role in this relationship. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is efficacious for treating chronic insomnia and reducing depression in cancer survivor populations. The effects of CBT-I on anticipatory and consummatory pleasure are theoretically and clinically meaningful, yet remain unexamined. PATIENTS/METHODS: This secondary analysis of a pilot RCT (N = 40 cancer survivors with insomnia) explicated changes in anticipatory and consummatory pleasure and depression symptoms following a 4-session, synchronous, virtual CBT-I program versus enhanced usual care (referral to a behavioral sleep medicine clinic + sleep hygiene handout). Linear mixed models examined changes in anticipatory and consummatory pleasure and depression symptoms as predictors of changes in insomnia severity from baseline to post-intervention and 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: CBT-I buffered against deterioration in anticipatory pleasure but not consummatory pleasure or depression symptoms. Across conditions, increased anticipatory pleasure was associated with insomnia reduction through 1-month follow-up, even after adjusting for changes in depression symptoms. CONCLUSION: CBT-I may improve reward processing deficits in cancer survivors with insomnia. Findings provide support for the ISR Model and implicate pleasure as an important target for insomnia and depression.

Influence of Social Media Uses and Gratifications on Family Health among U.S. Parents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Some research suggests that parents on social media have access to greater social support and health information. However, evidence also connects parental social media use to negative outcomes including increased parental stress, depression, and distraction. Using the uses and gratification theory, this study goes beyond measures of parents' individual mental health and explores social media use and its association with family well-being. Family health outcomes were predicted to vary with parents' use and gratifications of social media, with parents who use social media primarily for information and connection scoring higher on family health and parents who used social media for entertainment scoring worse on family health. The sample included 482 heterosexual married or cohabiting partners recruited through a Qualtrics panel. All participants were parents of children ages of 3-13, with mothers and fathers each completing the survey. Findings indicated that fathers' use of social media for entertainment and connecting with family and friends was associated with better family well-being and health resources (p < 0.01). However, mothers' use of social media did not have a statistically meaningful relationship with family health variables. There was no evidence that parental social media use was associated with negative family health outcomes. Longitudinal data is needed to determine the temporal relationship between social media use and family health. Public health professionals interested in improving family health may consider how to better reach fathers on social media to increase health resources.

The Influence of Climate on Flourishing and Motivational Outcomes for U.S. Masters Swimmers.

The climate in which older adults exercise and participate in sport may play a role in promoting a lifetime commitment to exercising. However, little research has examined the relationship of caring (C) and task-involving (TI) climates, motivation, and well-being with respect to older adult athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Masters swimmers' perceptions of the climate, effort, enjoyment, and flourishing as well as explore the mediating effects of effort and enjoyment on the relationship between climate and flourishing. U.S. Masters swimmers (n = 294; Mage = 63.57 years; 84.40% White) with 1-80 years of swimming experience (M = 34.54 years) participating in coach-led programs completed an online survey. The results of latent variable, multiple-mediator analyses via structural equation modeling revealed two important contributions to the literature: (1) when Masters swimmers perceived that they were in C and TI climates, they were more likely to report higher levels of effort and greater enjoyment and flourishing; (2) the Masters swimmers' effort levels directly influenced their flourishing, mediating the relationship between climates and flourishing. This research has important implications for practice and policy, as U.S. Masters Swimming appears to be a fruitful avenue for promoting an enjoyable physical activity that can be experienced throughout a lifetime.

The impact of perceived value and affection on Chinese residents' continuous use intention of mobile health science information: An empirical study.

Introduction: Disseminating health science information via the internet has become an essential means for improving Chinese residents' health literacy, which has received constant attention from the Chinese government. Therefore, it is important to explore Chinese residents' perceived value and emotional response to mobile health science information for determining Chinese residents' satisfaction and use intention. Methods: This study applied the cognition-affect-conation model to evaluate the perceived value, arousal, pleasure, trust, satisfaction, and continuous use intention. A mobile device was used to obtain health science information from 236 Chinese residents via an online survey and the data were analyzed using partial least squares (PLS)-structural equation modeling. Results: The results showed that Chinese residents' perceived value of health science information obtained using the mobile device directly affect the degree of arousal (ß = 0.412, P < 0.001), pleasure (ß = 0.215, P < 0.01), and trust (ß = 0.339, P < 0.001). The degree of arousal (ß = 0.121, P < 0.01), pleasure (ß = 0.188, P < 0.01), and trust (ß = 0.619, P < 0.001) directly affected Chinese residents' satisfaction, which further affected their continuous use intention (ß = 0.513, P < 0.001). Similarly, trust directly affected Chinese residents' continuous use intention (ß = 0.323, P < 0.001). The degree of arousal directly affected their degree of pleasure (ß = 0.304, P < 0.001), and pleasure also imposed a direct effect on trust (ß = 0.293, P < 0.001). Discussion: The result of this study provided an academic and practical reference to improve mobile health science popularization information. Affective changes have imposed an important effect on Chinese residents' continuous use intention. High-quality, diversified and frequent use of health science information can significantly increase residents' continuous use intention, improving their health literacy as a consequence.

Anatomic maps of erogenous sensation and pleasure in the penis: are there difference between circumcised and uncircumcised men?

BACKGROUND: The effects of male circumcision on sexual function remain controversial. Heterogeneity across previous studies and low-quality scientific evidence have resulted in poor understanding of the effects of circumcision on erogenous sensation of the penis and orgasm function. AIM: In this study we sought to describe and assess differences in erogenous genital sensation and reported orgasm function in circumcised compared with uncircumcised men. METHODS: Adult male subjects who were recruited on a paid anonymous online survey platform were shown illustrations of 12 anatomic regions of the penis. Subjects were prompted to designate regions as pleasurable when touched during partnered sex and to rate each on a 1-10 scale, with higher erogeneity scores correlating with greater pleasure. Subjects were also asked to characterize their orgasms across 6 experiential domains. OUTCOMES: Outcomes were differences between circumcised and uncircumcised men in the probabilities that regions would be designated as pleasurable, average pleasure scores, and self-reported orgasm parameters. RESULTS: In total, 227 circumcised (mean [SD] age 46.6 [17.7] years) and 175 uncircumcised men (47.8 [18.1] years) completed the survey. There were no significant differences in average ratings across all regions between circumcised and uncircumcised men. However, significantly more circumcised men reported preferences for the tip of the penis (38% vs 17%, P = .02) and the middle third of the ventral penile shaft (63% vs 48%, P = .04). Additionally, there were no significant differences in orgasm quality and function across all queried domains between circumcised and uncircumcised cohorts. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Our findings suggest that circumcision does not change how men describe erogenous genital sensation or how they experience orgasm. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: In this study we expanded upon existing literature regarding comparison of sexual function in circumcised and uncircumcised men in its scale and investigation of diverse domains. Limitations include the survey format of data collection. CONCLUSION: We found no differences in reported erogenous ratings or orgasm function between circumcised and uncircumcised men. These findings suggest that male circumcision does not negatively impact penile erogeneity or orgasm function.

Compensatory beliefs in the internet gratification behavior: A study of game-based assessment.

Internet gratification behaviors (IGB) may lead to sub-optimal performance in schools and workplace as well as mental health problems such as Internet addiction. The present research examines this phenomenon, focusing on the compensatory belief (CB)-a belief that the negative impact of a certain behavior can be compensated or neutralized by another positive behavior-as a potential psychological mechanism for IGB. An interactive-narrative-style game-based assessment was designed and responses from a random-sampled population of 1,298 participants including college students and organizational employees were collected online. It was found that around 40% of college students and organizational employees would activate some kind of compensatory beliefs when facing with the internet temptation. Those who failed to perform compensatory behaviors afterwards were more likely to regret than those who were able to perform them, which was consistent with the prediction of the CB theory. This study expands the applicability of the CB theory to the field of internet addiction, enriches the understanding of the psychological mechanisms of internet addiction, and suggests that the interactive-narrative-style game-based assessment may be a practical method to study the CB.

Effect of heterogeneous investment induced by payoff and emotion on cooperation in public goods games by considering memory decline effects.

Payoff, emotion, and historical memory directly determine investment decision-making for incomplete rational men in a public goods game (PGG). How these factors affect investment and cooperation behavior has not been investigated yet. Thus, we proposed a new investment model involving theses three factors to examine its coupling effect on cooperation in PGG. An emotional increment was employed to describe the emotional change in every round by supposing an investor' pleasure to a cooperator but regret to a defector. Furthermore, an emotional index was formed by accumulating these historical changes with a memory decline effect. Then an investment formula was proposed by considering this emotional index and a historical payoff. Moreover, the cooperation level affected by these factors was investigated. Results show a mutually reinforcing relationship between emotional and payoff investments. A poor memory capacity coefficient allows defectors to change their behaviors but produces some opportunists. A large memory length results in a high cooperator fraction but is not suggested to be too large.

Emotion-behaviour decoupling and experiential pleasure deficits predict negative symptoms and functional outcome in first-episode schizophrenia patients.

BACKGROUND: Emotion-behaviour decoupling refers to the failure to translate emotion into motivated behaviour, and is a putative marker for schizophrenia. The heterogeneity of experiential pleasure and emotion expressivity deficits has been reported in schizophrenia patients. These three constructs are believed to contribute to negative symptoms, but very few studies have examined their predictive ability for clinical and functional outcome of schizophrenia. This study aimed to clarify whether these three constructs influence clinical and functional outcome of schizophrenia. METHOD: At baseline, 127 first-episode schizophrenia patients completed a behavioural paradigm for emotion-behaviour decoupling, and self-report scales for experiential pleasure and emotion expressivity deficits. Cluster-analysis was applied to characterize schizophrenia subgroups based on these three constructs. At end-point (mean follow-up = 5.37 years, SD = 1.03 years), 85 schizophrenia patients were reassessed using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) and a clinician-rated social functioning scale. RESULTS: Cluster 1 (n = 74) did not show emotion-behaviour decoupling, and had intact experiential pleasure and emotion expressivity. Cluster 2 (n = 29) showed emotion-behaviour decoupling and experiential pleasure deficits. Cluster 3 (n = 24) showed emotion expressivity deficits. At endpoint, the three clusters differed significantly in CAINS MAP factor (p = 0.016) and social functioning (p = 0.019), but not CAINS EXP factor. Specifically, Cluster 2 (n = 18) showed more severe negative symptoms of CAINS MAP factor (p = 0.046) and poorer social functioning (p = 0.022) than Cluster 1 (n = 49). Cluster 3 (n = 18) did not differ from Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 in negative symptoms and social functioning. DISCUSSION: Emotion-behaviour decoupling and experiential pleasure deficits predicted clinical and functional outcome of schizophrenia.