AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Flat affect is a condition that causes people to not express emotions in the same way other people might. For example, when a person without flat affect is happy, they may smile brightly or in some other way show that they’re pleased. A person with flat affect shows no facial expressions.

Detailed explanation-2: -A flat affect can be a negative symptom of schizophrenia, meaning that your emotional expressions don’t show outwardly. You may speak in a dull, flat voice and your face may not change. You also may have trouble understanding emotions in other people.

Detailed explanation-3: -A flat (or flattened) affect is when a person does not display or experience emotions with the same intensity that he or she did before an injury so that the affect (mood) of the individual in question appears to be unchanging (flat). This symptom is most common in right-sided brain injuries.

Detailed explanation-4: -Flat and blunted affect Those with flat affect have no response to emotional stimuli. Blunted affect, however, describes a dulled or constricted response, where a person’s emotional response is not as intense as normally expected. Blunted affect is commonly seen in those with post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

Detailed explanation-5: -A flat affect is considered a “negative” symptom of schizophrenia, which means there’s an absence of a certain emotion or behavior. Research suggests that people living with schizophrenia have a decreased ability to express their emotions, as well as a decreased ability to pick up on the emotional reactions of others.