The construct of negative symptoms has undergone significant changes since the introduction of first generation assessment scales, such as the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms or the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Blunted affect, Alogia, Asociality, Anhedonia and Avolition are largely recognized as valid domains of the negative symptoms construct.

Among the new assessment instruments, both the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) are considered adequate in their coverage of the negative symptoms domains. They include the assessment of both behavior and internal experience for Anhedonia, Asociality and Avolition to avoid overlap with functional outcome measures, as well as consummatory and anticipatory components of anhedonia with an emphasis on the internal experience of pleasure.

Strengths and limitations of these new assessment instruments will be reviewed in the light of some existing challenges, such as the distinction between primary and secondary negative symptoms and development of innovative treatments.