Raghav, a 26-year-old clerk from Kanpur, was admitted to a hospital after months of hearing voices and keeping away from his family. In an interview the psychologist asks him how he slept, what he ate for breakfast and whether his brother had visited. Raghav speaks freely and at length, but every reply ends up at the same idea: the nine o'clock train has left the station. When the psychologist turns the talk to cricket, which Raghav once loved, he again goes back to the nine o'clock train.
Which symptom of schizophrenia is shown by Raghav's replies in the interview?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Perseveration
Option (1) Loosening of associations — Incorrect. Loosening of associations, also called derailment, means rapidly shifting from one topic to another, so that thinking becomes muddled. Raghav does the reverse: he does not drift away, he keeps coming back to one idea.
Option (2) Neologisms — Incorrect. Neologisms means inventing new words or phrases. Raghav's sentence about the train is made of ordinary words, so he has not invented anything new.
Option (3) Perseveration — Correct. Perseveration is a formal thought disorder: the persistent and inappropriate repetition of the same thoughts. Raghav returns to the train idea for every question, even after the talk turns to cricket, so his replies show perseveration.
Option (4) Alogia (poverty of speech) — Incorrect. Alogia is a negative symptom: a reduction in speech and speech content. Raghav talks freely and at length, so his speech is not reduced; the problem is that it keeps going back to one thought.
NCERT (2026-27): “Symptoms of Schizophrenia … |