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. 2016 Apr 30:238:345-355.
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.053. Epub 2016 Feb 8.

Schizotypal personality questionnaire--brief revised (updated): An update of norms, factor structure, and item content in a large non-clinical young adult sample

Charlie A Davidson  1 , Lesa Hoffman  2 , William D Spaulding  3
Affiliations

Schizotypal personality questionnaire--brief revised (updated): An update of norms, factor structure, and item content in a large non-clinical young adult sample

Charlie A Davidson et al. Psychiatry Res. .

Abstract

This study updates and provides evidence for the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of a standard instrument for detection and measurement of schizotypy in non-clinical young adults. Schizotypy represents a set of traits on which both nonclinical and schizophrenia-spectrum populations vary meaningfully. These traits are linked to biological, cognitive, and social dimensions of serious mental illness (SMI), to clinical and subclinical variation in personal and social functioning, and to risk for SMI. Reliable and valid identification of schizotypal traits has important implications for clinical practice and research. Four consecutive independent samples of undergraduates were administered the SPQ-BR (N=2552). Confirmatory factor analyses suggested a minor item wording change improved reliability, and this Updated questionnaire was implemented for three-quarters of the sample (SPQ-BRU). A, single-order, nine-factor structure had acceptable psychometric properties. The best fitting second-order structure included four higher-order factors that distinguished Social Anxiety and Interpersonal factors. This differentiation was supported by differential relationships with treatment history. The Disorganized factor had the greatest unique relationship with personal and family treatment history. With few exceptions, factor loadings showed stability across samples. Overall, the higher-order and lower-order factors of schizotypy demonstrated reliability and convergent and discriminant validity; detailed psychometric data are presented in a supplement.

Keywords: Confirmatory factor analysis; Psychometrics; Reliability; Scale development; Schizophrenia; Serious mental illness; Validity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

Author CD, LH, and WS declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Higher-Order Models for SPQ Lower-order factors: Three and Four-factor Models.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Single-Order Models for SPQ-BRU Items.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
SPQ-BRU CFA Summary. Four-factor structure, model fit, and standardized loadings.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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