SCHIZOTYPY AND LATERALIZED NEGATIVE PRIMING IN SCHIZOPHRENICS AND NEUROTICS RELATIVES

Schizophrenics' relatives were compared with neurotics' relatives on a range of schizotypy scales and a hemisphere information processing (n egative priming) task. On most of the schizotypy scales schizophrenics ' relatives had lower scores than neurotics' relatives, and also as co mpared with the normative data for the questionnaires used. This might have been due to volunteer bias or to defensive responding, though if the latter was the case it was not reflected in the level of 'Lie' sc ale scoring found among schizophrenics' relatives. The experimental ta sk showed no significant differences when subjects were compared accor ding to relatives' status. However, two significant differences did em erge when the total sample was divided on the basis of high/low schizo typy scores: high schizotypes showed (a) a lack of visual field asymme try in lateralised negative priming, and (b) unusually fast overall re action times to stimuli in the left visual field. Both observations ar e consistent with some recent speculations about hemisphere functionin g as it relates to information processing and activation bias in schiz ophrenia and schizotypy.