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Validation of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief in Two Large Samples

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Abstract

This study reports on an initial examination of the construct validity of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief (MSS-B) and the first investigation of its psychometric properties outside of its derivation samples. The MSS-B contains 38 items that assess positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy and has comparable content coverage and psychometric properties as the original 77-item Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale. Two large samples (n = 1430 and 1289) completed the MSS-B, as well as measures of schizotypal personality traits and the Five-Factor Model of Personality. MSS-B scores were computed from the full-length scale in sample 1, whereas participants in sample 2 were administered the MSS-B. The psychometric properties and intercorrelations of the MSS-B subscales were consistent with findings from the original derivation samples, with no shrinkage in reliability. In terms of relations with schizotypal traits, the MSS-B positive schizotypy dimension had its strongest association with cognitive-perceptual schizotypal traits, MSS-B negative schizotypy had its strongest association with interpersonal schizotypal traits, and MSS-B disorganized schizotypy had its strongest association with disorganized schizotypal traits. The schizotypy dimensions were characterized by hypothesized patterns of distinct associations with the Five-Factor Model. The present findings are consistent with results from the full-scale MSS.

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Funding

This project was supported by research funds awarded to Thomas Kwapil by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Psychology. We thank Ryan Booth for his assistance with data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Ave, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    Georgina M. Gross

  2. University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA

    Georgina M. Gross, Thomas R. Kwapil & Paul J. Silvia

  3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Thomas R. Kwapil & Kathryn C. Kemp

  4. Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN, USA

    Chris J. Burgin

  5. Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH, USA

    Michael L. Raulin

  6. Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

    Neus Barrantes-Vidal

  7. Sant Pere Claver – Fundació Sanitària, Barcelona, Spain

    Neus Barrantes-Vidal

  8. CIBERSAM, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain

    Neus Barrantes-Vidal

Authors
  1. Georgina M. Gross
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  2. Thomas R. Kwapil
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  4. Michael L. Raulin
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  7. Neus Barrantes-Vidal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Georgina M. Gross.

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Conflict of Interest

Georgina Gross, Thomas Kwapil, Chris Burgin, Michael Raulin, Paul Silvia, Kathryn Kemp, and Neus Barrantes-Vidal declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Experiment Participants

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Gross, G.M., Kwapil, T.R., Burgin, C.J. et al. Validation of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief in Two Large Samples. J Psychopathol Behav Assess 40, 669–677 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-018-9668-4

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