Schizotypy, Autobiographical Memory, and Theory of Mind Sex Differences

    Authors

    A. E. Deptula;J. S. Bedwell

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    J. Nerv. Ment. Dis.

    Keywords

    Schizotypy; Theory of mind; Autobiographical memory; Schizotypal; Schizophrenia; SOCIAL-PERCEPTION; PSYCHOMETRIC SCHIZOTYPY; ASPERGER-SYNDROME; SCHIZOPHRENIA; PERSONALITY; EXPERIENCES; AUTISM; SCALE; SELF; VULNERABILITY; Clinical Neurology; Psychiatry

    Abstract

    Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit a range of cognitive impairments, including tasks assessing theory of mind (ToM) and autobiographical memory (AM). This study appears to be the first to examine how ToM and AM abilities interact in relation to schizotypy. Forty-seven undergraduate students reporting a wide continuous range of scores on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) completed a measure of ToM and a measure assessing various phenomenological qualities of AM. Female participants exhibited a negative correlation between the ToM score and the SPQ total score and a positive correlation between enhanced phenomenological qualities of AM and the SPQ disorganized factor score. No statistically significant relationships were found for male participants. ToM was negatively correlated with AM across the entire sample, which was not moderated by sex or schizotypy. It is possible that distinct underlying mechanisms account for the observed sex differences on ToM and AM performance in schizophrenia-related conditions.

    Journal Title

    Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

    Volume

    203

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2015

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    96

    Last Page

    100

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000349001900004

    ISSN

    0022-3018

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