Schizotypal personality traits: An extension of previous psychometric investigations

In an exploratory scale factor analysis of the Combined Schizotypal Traits Questionnaire, Claridge et al. (1996) reported four schizotypal trait dimen sions, which they labelled Aberrant Perceptions and Beliefs, Cognitive Diso rganisation with Anxiety, Introvertive Anhedonia, and Asocial Behaviour. Th e present paper reports the findings of a further examination of both scale and item factor analyses, and proposes an alternative five-factor model. P ositive and negative schizotypal trait factors emerged separately from gene ral personality factors pertaining to extraversion, neuroticism, and psycho ticism, showing that schizotypal traits cannot simply be reduced to the Eys enckian personality dimensions. The positive schizotypal factor also exhibi ted strong loadings on measures of delusions, suggesting that delusional co gnition is a major component of schizotypal personality. The present five-f actor model (supported by LISREL confirmatory factor analyses) may have imp ortant implications for future research into and clinical assessment of sch izotypal personality traits.