A patient shows a limited emotional display. Before revealing the answer, decide what distinguishes constriction of affect from apathy.

Ask whether the underlying problem is a narrowed range of emotional display, or a broader loss of interest and motivation. Constriction of affect differs from apathy, which is a reduction in interest and motivation rather than specifically in the range of emotional display: constriction is specifically about how many distinct emotional states are shown, with interest and engagement in life otherwise relatively intact. Apathy, by contrast, is a pervasive lack of interest, motivation, and emotional engagement with things that would previously have mattered, presenting as an outward indifference to circumstances, including circumstances that would ordinarily provoke a strong reaction, along with reduced initiation of activity. Whether the disturbance is confined to the range of emotional expression versus a broader loss of interest and drive is the key distinguishing feature.