Which behavior is most characteristic of a thought disorder?

• A. Blunted affect.
• B. Irritability.
• C. Lability of mood.
• D. Preoccupation with guilty feelings.

Answer: (A)

Thought disorders involve disturbances in thinking and the way thoughts are organized, often showing up as disorganized speech or illogical connections. Blunted affect, or reduced outward expression of emotion, commonly appears in schizophrenia spectrum conditions and tends to accompany more severe cognitive and psychotic symptoms. It reflects a broader reduction in engagement and responsiveness that can go hand in hand with disorganized thinking and limited ability to process or respond to social cues. The other signs — irritability, mood lability, and preoccupation with guilty feelings — are more about mood or depressive themes than the disorganized thinking that defines a thought disorder. So, the display of diminished emotional expressiveness aligns most with the pattern seen in thought-disordered presentations.