Oddity, schizotypy/dissociation, and personality

Abstract

The construct of Oddity was examined in relation to the dimensions of normal personality variation and a dimension of schizotypy and dissociation. In 2 studies involving samples of community adults (N = 409) and college students (N = 378), Oddity-as operationalized in terms of perceived strangeness or eccentricity-was found to be moderately related to a Schizotypy/Dissociation factor and also to factors of normal personality variation, particularly Openness to Experience. The modest loading of Oddity on the Schizotypy/Dissociation factor, along with the somewhat stronger projection of Oddity within the space of normal personality dimensions, indicates that the Schizotypy/Dissociation factor should not be interpreted as a dimension of Oddity. The interpretation of the Schizotypy/Dissociation factor is discussed, as are the implications of these results for proposed dimensional models of personality disorders.