Schizotypy Scales Research Articles

Association of multidimensional schizotypy with cognitive-behavioral disorganization in daily life: An experience sampling methodology study.

Schizotypy is a multidimensional construct that is composed of positive, negative, and disorganized dimensions. Historically, disorganized schizotypy, which involves disruptions in thoughts, speech, behavior, and affect, has been relatively understudied and less clearly operationalized than the other dimensions. The present study employed experience sampling methodology to examine the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy, as measured by the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale, with daily life experiences. A total of 601 young adults were prompted eight times daily for 1 week to complete experience sampling methodology questionnaires that assessed affect, social functioning, schizotypic experiences, situation appraisals, and substance use in daily life, with an emphasis on disorganized schizotypic experiences and communication disruptions. As hypothesized, disorganized schizotypy was associated with momentary disorganization, negative affect, and stress over-and-above positive and negative schizotypy. Negative schizotypy was associated with diminished positive affect, poor social functioning, and diminished emotional clarity. Positive schizotypy was associated with momentary reports of strange or unusual thoughts, racing thoughts, and emotions and thoughts feeling out of control. All three schizotypy dimensions uniquely predicted communication difficulties. Cross-level interactions indicated disorganized schizotypy, but not positive or negative schizotypy, predicted stronger associations of simultaneous reports of doing something that requires focus and attention with negative affect and difficulty completing the current task. Overall, the present study expands our understanding of disorganized schizotypy's expression in daily life and builds upon previous findings by demonstrating the unique associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with daily life experiences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationships Between Multidimensional Schizotypy and Metacognitive Beliefs.

There has been a recent surge in schizotypy and metacognition research. Metacognition is an umbrella term for higher-order thought processes. Here, we focussed on maladaptive metacognitive beliefs, which are beliefs related to one's thought processes and often play an important role in the preponderance of psychological disorders. Despite the extensive literature, relatively less is known about metacognitive beliefs in the context of multidimensional schizotypy, which consists of positive, negative, and disorganised dimensions and represents the milder forms of schizophrenia symptoms and vulnerability to developing schizophrenia. This is the first study that examined the links not only with positive schizotypy, but also with negative and disorganised schizotypy. We also attempted to circumvent the limitations related to schizotypy assessment in the previous studies by using a newly developed measure, the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS), which was based on the current operationalisations of the construct. We examined the links in a non-clinical sample, including first-year psychology students and members of the wider community of an Australian university (N = 68). Self-report data was collected by administering the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30, MSS, and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale to control the self-report measures' social desirability biases. Results revealed positive correlations of maladaptive metacognitive beliefs not only with positive schizotypy, but also with negative and disorganised schizotypy. Our findings support the importance of examining schizotypy as a multidimensional construct. Further, our findings have implications for research and practice, including treatment modalities focusing on the modification of metacognitive beliefs for the prevention of schizophrenia and related conditions.

Sex-specific association between schizophrenia polygenic risk and subclinical schizophrenia-related traits

BackgroundAccording to the dimensional view of psychiatric disorders, psychosis is expressed as a continuum in the general population. However, the investigation of the putative genetic aetiological continuity between its clinical and subclinical phenotypes has yielded mixed results. We aimed to replicate previous findings regarding the association of polygenic risk for schizophrenia with subclinical traits (i.e., schizotypy traits and psychotic-like experiences), and to examine the role of sex in this association in a large nonclinical sample. MethodsThe Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences were assessed in 919 nonclinical participants. Polygenic Risk Scores for schizophrenia (SZ-PRSs) were computed using the PRS-CS method based on the latest genome-wide association study of schizophrenia. Summary statistics derived from the total GWAS sample and stratified by sex were used. Linear regression analyses tested the associations of the SZ-PRSs with the psychometric variables, both in the total sample and by sex. ResultsNo associations were found between the SZ-PRSs and the positive, negative or disorganized dimensions of schizotypy in the total sample. Likewise, no associations were found with psychotic-like experiences. However, the sex-stratified analyses revealed a male-specific association with positive schizotypy. Similar results were obtained with the PRSs derived from the sex-stratified summary statistics. DiscussionOur results are consistent with the lack of clear evidence of an association between SZ common genetic risk and its subclinical phenotypes. Nevertheless, the male-specific association found suggests that this PRS might explain better the male phenotype, as reported in previous studies. Future studies should put a focus on the role of sex in this association to unravel its sex specificities.

Examining measures of schizotypy for gender and racial bias using item response theory and differential item functioning

Schizotypy involves schizophrenia-like traits and symptoms, with the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales (WSS) being frequently used in previous research. There is some evidence that schizophrenia-spectrum symptom levels, including when using the WSS, might vary both by gender and by race and ethnicity. However, previous research has rarely examined to what extent the WSS show gender and racial bias. Further, this has not been previously examined for the Cognitive Slippage Scale, a measure of disorganized schizotypy. In this study, we examined biases for a subset of items from the WSS in a large sample of undergraduate students (n = 21,829). Using item response theory to test for levels of differential item functioning (DIF), we found some evidence of problematic DIF for all scales, including for negative, positive, and disorganized schizotypy scales. There was evidence of problematic DIF especially by gender and for Black and Multiracial participants. Overall, the current results suggest that gender and/or racial bias on these scales should be an important consideration in using these scales and our results could have implications for assessment of schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms.

Moral learning and positive schizotypy: Social cognitive mechanisms in psychosis- proneness

BackgroundDelusional thoughts such as paranoia and conspiratorial thinking reflect beliefs in others' intentions to do harm. Given the integral role of harm evaluation in moral cognition, a better understanding of how psychosis-prone individuals process others' moral characters may provide insights into social cognitive mechanisms of these types of delusions. MethodsAn online sample of 293 participants was drawn from the general population, using Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants performed a moral inference task, where they predicted and judged the binary choices of two fictitious agents (“good” or “bad”) to impose harm under different levels of financial incentives. An investment game involving the same agents then examined participants' trust behavior. Psychosis-proneness was measured with the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale Brief Edition. ResultsA set of multiple regressions showed that positive schizotypy was associated with a lower yet more confident pre-experimental expectation of the agent's moral character, lower prediction accuracy of the agent's harm preferences, less belief revision, and undifferentiated perception of the good and bad agents' characters. Positive schizotypy was also related to higher expectations for reciprocity in the investment game, regardless of agent characters. ConclusionOur findings suggest that inflexible beliefs associated with psychosis-proneness extend beyond negative prior expectations, also reflecting difficulties in moral learning. The resulting undifferentiated moral impressions might contribute to undue suspicion of benevolent individuals and increased gullibility to malicious ones, potentially further strengthening conspiratorial beliefs.

Can you believe your eyes? Positive schizotypy is associated with increased susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer illusion

Background and hypothesisVisual illusions provide a unique opportunity to understand cognitive and perceptual alterations in schizophrenia-spectrum conditions. Schizophrenia patients often exhibit increased susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer illusion. Here, we investigate susceptibility to the Müller-Lyer visual illusion in the general population with different levels of schizotypy. Study designWe assessed a population-based convenience sample (N = 263) on an online platform. In addition to basic demographics, participants completed the Müller-Lyer illusion, the Cardiff Anomalous Perceptions Scale (CAPS) to measure perceptual anomalies, and the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale – Brief (MSS-B) for schizotypic traits. To evaluate what predicts susceptibility to the illusion, we fitted a large set of multilevel logistic regression models and performed model averaging over the coefficients. Study resultsWe found support for increased illusion susceptibility among individuals with high positive schizotypy. However, we did not find a comparable effect for anomalous perceptions alone, or for negative or disorganized schizotypy. ConclusionsThe increased Müller-Lyer effect in positive schizotypy might be specific to delusion-like beliefs and magical ideation. Further research is needed to clarify how a hierarchical Bayesian formulation of brain function (e.g. imbalances between bottom-up perceptual processing and substantial reliance on prior expectations) can account for the Müller-Lyer effect in schizophrenia-spectrum conditions.

Orbitofrontal and striatal metabolism, volume, thickness and structural connectivity in relation to social anhedonia in depression: A multimodal study

BackgroundSocial anhedonia is common within major depressive disorder (MDD) and associated with worse treatment outcomes. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is implicated in both reward (medial OFC) and punishment (lateral OFC) in social decision making. Therefore, to understand the biology of social anhedonia in MDD, medial/lateral OFC metabolism, volume, and thickness, as well as structural connectivity to the striatum, amygdala, and ventral tegmental area/nucleus accumbens were examined. A positive relationship between social anhedonia and these neurobiological outcomes in the lateral OFC was hypothesized, whereas an inverse relationship was hypothesized for the medial OFC. The association between treatment-induced changes in OFC neurobiology and depression improvement were also examined. Methods85 medication-free participants diagnosed with MDD were assessed with Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales to assess social anhedonia and received pretreatment simultaneous fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including structural and diffusion. Participants were then treated in an 8-week randomized placebo-controlled double-blind course of escitalopram. PET/MRI were repeated following treatment. Metabolic rate of glucose uptake was quantified from dynamic FDG-PET frames using Patlak graphical analysis. Structure (volume and cortical thickness) was quantified from structural MRI using Freesurfer. To assess structural connectivity, probabilistic tractography was performed on diffusion MRI and average FA was calculated within the derived tracts. Linear mixed models with Bonferroni correction were used to examine the relationships between variables. ResultsA significantly negative linear relationship between pretreatment social anhedonia score and structural connectivity between the medial OFC and the amygdala (estimated coefficient: −0.006, 95 % CI: −0.0108 – −0.0012, p-value = 0.0154) was observed. However, this finding would not survive multiple comparisons correction. No strong evidence existed to show a significant linear relationship between pretreatment social anhedonia score and metabolism, volume, thickness, or structural connectivity to any of the regions examined. There was also no strong evidence to suggest significant linear relationships between improvement in depression and percent change in these variables. ConclusionsBased on these multimodal findings, the OFC likely does not underlie social anhedonia in isolation and therefore should not be the sole target of treatment for social anhedonia. This is consistent with previous reports that other areas of the brain such as the amygdala and the striatum are highly involved in this behavior. Relatedly, amygdala-medial OFC structural connectivity could be a future target. The results of this study are crucial as, to our knowledge, they are the first to relate structure/function of the OFC with social anhedonia severity in MDD. Future work may need to involve a whole brain approach in order to develop therapeutics for social anhedonia.

Measurement invariance of brief forms of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire across convenience versus random samples

Schizotypy, a multifaceted personality construct that represents liability for schizophrenia, is generally measured with self-report questionnaires that have been developed and validated in samples of undergraduate students. Given that understanding schizotypy in non-clinical samples is essential for furthering our understanding of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathologies, it is critical to test whether non-clinically identified undergraduate and other convenience samples respond to schizotypy scales in the same way as random samples of the general population. Here, 651 undergraduates, 350 MTurk workers, and two randomly selected high school samples (n = 177, n = 551) completed brief versions of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-BR or SPQ-BRU). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was used to test whether measurement invariance was present across samples. Tests were made for all samples together and for each pair of samples. Results showed that a first-order nine-factor model fit the data well, and this factor structure displayed configural and metric invariance across the four samples. This suggests that schizotypy has the same factor structure, and the SPQ-BR/BRU is measuring the same construct across the different groups. However, when all groups were compared, results indicated a lack of scalar invariance across these samples, suggesting mean comparisons may be inappropriate across different sample types. However, when randomly selected high school students were compared with undergraduate students, scalar invariance was present. This suggests that factors such as culture and form type may be driving invariance, rather than sampling method (convenience vs general population).

Replication of the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with interview-assessed symptoms and impairment: Convergence with previous studies.

Schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology appears best understood as being expressed across a continuum of clinical and subclinical symptoms and impairment referred to as schizotypy. This brief report describes a comprehensive replication study examining the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with interview ratings of impairment, psychopathology, and personality pathology in a sample of 161 young adults. Consistent with past studies, positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy had distinct and hypothesized associations with symptoms and impairment. Positive schizotypy was associated with prodromal symptoms and schizotypal, paranoid, and borderline personality traits. Negative schizotypy was associated with impaired functioning, negative symptoms, and schizoid, schizotypal, and paranoid traits, as well as any broad personality disorder diagnosis; it was also associated with never having dated. Disorganized schizotypy was associated with impaired functioning, disorganized schizotypic experiences, attentional deficits, and schizotypal, paranoid, borderline, and avoidant personality traits, as well as depression. Overall, we successfully replicated findings from five previous schizotypy interview studies, supporting the construct validity of the multidimensional model of schizotypy and the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Disorganized schizotypy and neuroticism in daily life: Examining their overlap and differentiation

Positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy dimensions are associated with differential patterns of symptoms and impairment. Historically, disorganized schizotypy has been the least studied of the three schizotypy dimensions. Disorganized schizotypy has been found to be associated with emotional dysregulation, negative affect, and neuroticism. The current study examined the overlapping and differential associations of disorganized schizotypy and neuroticism with experiences assessed in daily life using experience sampling methodology (ESM). A total of 279 undergraduates completed the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and the NEO-FFI neuroticism subscale, followed by ESM surveys administered eight times daily for one week. The ESM surveys assessed affect, appraisals of the current situation, social experiences, and schizotypic experiences in daily life. Disorganized schizotypy and neuroticism had similar bivariate associations with daily life experiences. However, multilevel regression analyses indicated that, when entered simultaneously, disorganized schizotypy was predominately associated with elevated schizotypic experiences, negative affect, and emotional dysregulation, whereas neuroticism was associated with elevated negative affect and diminished positive affect. The findings indicate that the pathological expressions of disorganized schizotypy are not simply ascribable to its overlap with neuroticism. Furthermore, the results provide further evidence that disorganized schizotypy is a complex construct that involves disruption of emotion regulation, as well as cognition, communication, and behavior.

Trait schizotypy and the psychosis prodrome: Current standard assessment of extended psychosis spectrum phenotypes

Schizotypy has become an increasingly important construct for elaborating psychotic disorders that vary along the schizophrenic spectrum. However, different schizotypy inventories vary in conceptual approach and measurement. In addition, commonly used schizotypy scales have been seen as qualitatively different from screening instruments for prodromal schizophrenia like the Prodromal Questionnaire-16 (PQ-16). Our study investigated the psychometric properties of three schizotypy questionnaires (the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief, Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences, and the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale) as well as the PQ-16 in a cohort of 383 non-clinical subjects. We initially evaluated their factor structure using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and used Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to test a newly proposed composition of factors. PCA results support a three-factor structure of schizotypy that accounts for 71% of the total variance, but also shows cross-loadings of some schizotypy subscales. CFA of the newly composed schizotypy factors (together with an added neuroticism factor) shows good fit. Analyses including the PQ-16 indicate considerable overlap with measures of trait schizotypy, suggesting that the PQ-16 might not be quantitatively or qualitatively different from schizotypy measurements. Taken together, results indicate that there is good support for a three-factor structure of schizotypy but also that different schizotypy measurements grasp facets of schizotypy differently. This points towards the need for an integrative approach for assessing the construct of schizotypy.

Association of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with cluster a, borderline, and avoidant personality disorders and traits.

The present study examined the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy dimensions assessed by the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale with 5 interview-rated personality disorder diagnoses and traits in 151 young adults. As hypothesized, all 3 schizotypy dimensions were associated with impaired functioning. Positive schizotypy was associated with schizotypal and borderline personality traits; negative schizotypy was associated with schizotypal, schizoid, paranoid, and avoidant personality traits; and disorganized schizotypy was associated with paranoid, borderline, and avoidant personality disorder traits. Negative schizotypy predicted broad diagnoses of Cluster A personality disorders. Both negative and disorganized schizotypy predicted the broad diagnosis of any of the 5 personality disorders. The study further examined the association of the schizotypy dimensions with the individual personality disorder criteria to better understand the overall associations. Given the common origins and high comorbidity, we examined whether the schizotypy dimensions explained the association of borderline and schizotypal personality disorder traits. Positive and disorganized schizotypy fully mediated the association between borderline and schizotypal traits. In summary, the study replicated and extended previous findings that the schizotypy dimensions are uniquely associated with personality disorders and traits, as well as impaired functioning, in young adults. The study also provided additional support for the construct validity of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and for the use of psychometric assessment of schizotypy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Does childhood trauma predict schizotypal traits? A path modelling approach in a cohort of help-seeking subjects

Schizotypy constitutes a susceptibility to beneficial and deleterious schizotypal traits, ranging from coping mechanisms to schizotypal personality disorder on a psychosis continuum. Growing evidence indicates a relationship between childhood adversity and trauma and schizotypy. However, the exact influence of childhood adversity and trauma on schizotypy and its relation to sex is not sufficiently understood. Therefore, we investigated sex-adjusted connections between childhood adversity and trauma subdomains (emotional/physical/sexual abuse, emotional/physical neglect) and positive (magical ideation, perceptual aberration) as well as negative schizotypy (physical/social anhedonia). In total, 240 outpatients of the Early Detection and Intervention Centre of the University Hospital Cologne were assessed with the Trauma and Distress Scale for childhood adversity and trauma and the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales for schizotypy. Path analyses were performed to investigate sex-adjusted correlations. The well-fitting path model of the total sample linked emotional abuse to magical ideation (p = 0.03; SE = 0.20) and emotional neglect to social anhedonia (p = 0.01; SE = 0.26). In females, physical abuse predicted magical ideation (p = 0.01; SE = 0.33), while emotional neglect forecasted physical anhedonia (p = 0.03; SE = 0.34) and social anhedonia (p = 0.03; SE = 0.32). In males, sexual abuse predicted perceptive aberration (p = 0.04; SE = 0.19) and emotional abuse forecasted magical ideation (p = 0.03; SE = 0.27). Overall, the significance of sex-specific interrelations between trauma and schizotypy were highlighted. Magical ideation and perceptive aberration occurred prominently in the absence of negative and disorganized schizotypy, thus positive schizotypy could be discussed as a beneficial expression of coping with emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Furthermore, emotional neglect should be addressed particularly to prevent deleterious negative schizotypy in females.Trial registration number (20-1243), date of registration (May 19th 2020), retrospectively registered.

Cannabis Use, Schizotypy and Kamin Blocking Performance

Cannabis use has been associated with increased risk for a first episode of psychosis and inappropriate assignment of salience to extraneous stimuli has been proposed as a mechanism underlying this association. Psychosis-prone (especially schizotypal) personality traits are associated with deficits in associative learning tasks that measure salience allocation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between history of cannabis use and Kamin blocking (KB), a form of selective associative learning, in a non-clinical sample. Additionally, KB was examined in relation to self-reported schizotypy and aberrant salience scale profiles. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 307 healthy participants with no previous psychiatric or neurological history. Participants were recruited and tested using the Testable Minds behavioural testing platform. KB was calculated using Oades' “mouse in the house task”, performance of which is disrupted in schizophrenia patients. Schizotypy was measured using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), and the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) was used to assess self-reported unusual or inappropriate salience. The modified Cannabis Experience Questionnaire (CEQm) was used to collect detailed history of use of cannabis and other recreational drugs. Regression models and Bayesian t-tests or ANOVA (or non-parametric equivalents) examined differences in KB based on lifetime or current cannabis use (frequent use during previous year), as well as frequency of use among those who had previously used cannabis. Neither lifetime nor current cannabis use was associated with any significant change in total or trial-specific KB scores. Current cannabis use was associated with higher Disorganised SPQ dimension scores and higher total and sub-scale values for the ASI. A modest positive association was observed between total KB score and Disorganised SPQ dimension scores, but no relationships were found between KB and other SPQ measures. Higher scores on “Senses Sharpening” ASI sub-scale predicted decreased KB score only in participants who have not engaged in recent cannabis use. These results are discussed in the context of our understanding of the effects of long-term cannabis exposure on salience attribution, as well as inconsistencies in the literature with respect to both the relationship between KB and schizotypy and the measurement of KB associative learning phenomena.

Increased rates of social defeat and schizotypy in racial minorities

This study examines the extent to which a measure of multidimensional schizotypy is associated with experiences of social defeat. Based on the social defeat hypothesis of psychosis, which suggests that chronic stressful experiences leading to social defeat increase risk for psychotic-like experiences, we expect that individual differences on a schizotypy measure would be explained by differences in social defeat. We hypothesized that racial and ethnic minorities would report higher rates of schizotypy relative to non-minorities and that social defeat would explain those differences. Participants included a community sample of English-speaking adults ages 18 and older, recruited from online social media platforms (N = 501; M age = 28.06). Demographic information was collected, as well as the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale–Brief (Kwapil et al., 2018) and the Defeat Scale (Gilbert & Allan, 1998). Analyses revealed that social defeat and schizotypy scores are highly correlated. Examination of group differences revealed that racial and ethnic minorities reported higher rates of schizotypy and higher rates of social defeat than non-minorities. ANCOVA analyses revealed that, after controlling for social defeat scores, racial and ethnic status was no longer significantly associated with schizotypy scores.

Empathy and Theory of Mind in Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis: Relations With Schizotypy and Executive Function.

ObjectiveWhile recent studies have found deficits in theory of mind (ToM) skills in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis, empathic tendencies in these subjects remain unclear. The presence of high schizotypy and compromised executive functions, which are found in UHR individuals, would affect ToM skills and empathic tendencies. We investigated the ToM skills and empathic tendencies of UHR individuals and examined their relationship with schizotypy and executive function. MethodsThis study included 28 UHR individuals and 28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. All participants completed a self-reported empathic scale (Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and the Wisconsin Schizotypy Scales. Additionally, the ToM Picture Stories Task and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were conducted. ResultsUHR individuals showed a trend toward lower self-reported empathic tendencies; however, there were no differences in ToM skills between the two groups. Of the four subscales of the IRI, only empathic concern showed a significant difference between the two groups. Empathic concern was inversely associated with negative schizotypy. ConclusionOur findings suggest that UHR individuals show relatively preserved cognitive empathy but compromised emotional empathy. Furthermore, in UHR individuals, the empathic concern subscale of the IRI was associated with negative schizotypy, while ToM skills were related to positive schizotypy and executive function.

The association of multidimensional schizotypy with symptoms and impairment across racial groups.

The assessment of schizotypy and schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology has historically been adversely impacted by multiple forms of measurement bias, including racial bias. The Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS) was developed using modern scale construction methods to minimize measurement bias in the assessment of schizotypic traits. However, studies have not examined the validity of the measurement across different racial groups. The present study examined whether the associations of MSS positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy subscales with interview-assessed ratings of functioning, schizophrenia-spectrum personality traits, and depressive disorders were generally comparable across nonclinically ascertained samples of Black (n = 46), Asian (n = 87), and White (n = 116) young adults. Consistent with previous findings, all three schizotypy subscales were associated with impairment and schizotypal and paranoid traits. Negative schizotypy was associated with schizoid traits, and disorganized schizotypy was associated with depressive disorders. These associations were comparable across the racial groups, supporting the use of the MSS in these groups. Culturally and empirically valid assessments are essential for providing accurate assessments across racial/ethnic groups and reducing the risk of overpathologizing people of color. The present findings support the cross-cultural validity of the MSS; however, future studies should expand upon these findings by including more diverse samples and longitudinal designs.

Loneliness and Current Environmental Context Are Associated With False Perceptions Regarding Social Relations.

The consequences of loneliness include anxiety, depression, and chronic illnesses, but little is known about its association with cognitive distortions. Three experiments investigated the effect of loneliness, and current context, on the content of false perceptions. A total of 446 participants completed psychometric tests (University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a Schizotypy Scale) and a word detection task. The word detection task explored the effects of "lonely" and "neutral" contexts (experiments 1 and 2), as well as "positive social" contexts (experiment 3), on false perceptions. In all experiments, participants reporting higher loneliness reported more false perceptions with a lonely content, but only when in a context reflecting a lonely theme. The results show current environmental context and individuals' psychological state combine to affect false perception content. That such findings are found with loneliness, when controlling for depression, anxiety, and schizotypy, show the degree to which this state can distort cognition and perception.

Convergent validity of the Chinese version of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale.

Schizotypy is the latent personality reflecting the liability to schizophrenia. The Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS) is a newly developed questionnaire to measure the levels of schizotypy. The Chinese version of MSS has been developed and previous findings supported its structure validity. The present study aimed to examine the construct validity of the Chinese version of the MSS by correlating it with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). A total of 1359 university students completed the MSS and the SPQ online. The results of 1027 valid participants demonstrated that all MSS dimensions showed good internal consistency. The MSS positive dimension is strongly correlated with SPQ cognitive-perceptual factor, the MSS negative dimension with the SPQ interpersonal factor, and the MSS disorganized dimension with the SPQ disorganized factor. Taken together, our study provides evidence for construct validity of the Chinese version of the MSS.

Empathic Tendency and Theory of Mind Skills in Young Individuals with Schizophrenia: Its’ Associations with Self-Reported Schizotypy and Executive Function

Objectives Social function deficit is known as a core feature of schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate differences in empathic tendencies and theory of mind (ToM) skills between healthy controls and young individuals with schizophrenia, and to examine the associations between empathic tendencies, ToM skills and schizotypy, and executive function in schizophrenia. Methods Thirty patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls were enrolled and assessed using the interpersonal relationship index (IRI; perspective taking, fantasy, empathic concern, and personal distress subscales), ToM-Picture Story Task (ToM-PST; sequence and cognitive questionnaire), Wisconsin schizotypy scale (revised physical anhedonia and perceptual aberration), and Stroop tests for empathic tendencies, ToM skills, schizotypy, and executive function. Results In individuals with schizophrenia, the IRI for perspective taking and ToM-PST score for cognitive function were lower, and the IRI for personal distress was higher than those in healthy controls. The IRIs for perspective taking and fantasy were related to revised physical anhedonia, and that for empathic concern was associated with revised physical anhedonia and perceptual aberration. The ToM-PST score for sequence was associated with the Stroop test score for schizophrenia. Conclusion These findings indicate deficits in empathic tendencies and ToM skills, which may be independently and primarily associated with schizotypy and executive function in young individuals with schizophrenia. Key Words: Empathy · Executive function · Schizophrenia · Schizotypy · Social cognition · Theory of mind 중심 단어: 공감 · ë§ˆìŒì´ë¡ Â· 사회인지 · 실행기능 · 조현병 · 조현형차원