A client communicates using short, one- or two-word responses. What symptom is the client exhibiting?

Choice A reason: Avolition is a negative symptom of schizophrenia characterized by a significant decrease in the motivation to initiate and perform self-directed purposeful activities. It involves a lack of "will" rather than a lack of speech. A client with avolition may stay in bed all day or fail to complete tasks. Choice B reason: Affective flattening, or blunted affect, refers to a reduction in the intensity of emotional expression. This manifests as a lack of facial expression, decreased eye contact, and a monotonous voice. While it can occur alongside reduced speech, it specifically describes the emotional "display" rather than the verbal output itself. Choice C reason: Anosognosia is a condition in which a person with a disability or illness seems unaware of its existence. In psychiatry, it often refers to a client's lack of insight into their mental health disorder. It does not relate to the quantity or brevity of the client's verbal communication. Choice D reason: Alogia, often referred to as "poverty of speech," is a negative symptom of schizophrenia involving a reduction in the quantity of speech or the spontaneous production of fluent conversation. Clients with alogia provide brief, empty, or laconic responses, reflecting an underlying impediment in the cognitive process of generating language.