Analysis of Social Behavior

This chapter will present the micro-social behavior of patients with schizophrenia. Microsociology is the branch of sociology that emerged from the pioneering studies of Erving Goffman. Microsociology focuses on the study of social interaction in small human groups consisting of two or more people. In recent decades, microsociology has shed light on the importance of nonverbal communication; proxemics, i.e., the physical distance between speakers during a dialogue; gestures; facial expressions; and other forms of human interaction. In this chapter, specific problems that patients with schizophrenia have with the perception of human interactions involving the face and body are described in a phenomenological approach.