Impaired Effort Allocation in Patients with Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and Its Relevance to Negative Symptoms Assessments and Persistent Negative Symptoms

(1) Background: Our aims in this study were (i) to compare effort allocation capacity measured between patients with recent-onset schizophrenia (SCZ) and healthy controls (HCs), (ii) within the SCZ, to investigate the association of effort allocation capacity with negative symptoms (NS), and (iii) to compare this association with the type of NS scale used. (2) Methods: Thirty-one patients with SCZ and 30 HCs participated in the study. The NS was examined using an older-generation (Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, SANS), a newer-generation (Brief Negative Symptoms Scale, BNSS), and a self-rated (Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms Scale, SNS) negative symptom scale, as well as longitudinally by using persistent NS (PNS) distinction. (3) Results: The SCZ group was less willing to expend effort in high/moderate-probability and -magnitude conditions but more in low-probability and -magnitude conditions. A general reduction in effort allocation capacity was also present. Patients with PNS were less likely to choose hard tasks than non-PNS patients. Clinician-rated scales correlated with 50% probability and moderate-reward-magnitude conditions. Correlations with the SNS were minimal. (4) Conclusions: Our findings suggest that patients with SCZ may show a general reduction in effort allocation capacity and make inefficient choices, although they are not totally reward-insensitive. The effects of NS on effort expenditure can be more pronounced when the rewarding stimulus is vague.