High schizotypal individuals manifest differential performance on time-based schedules of reinforcement

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Abstract

Experiments explored the performance of individuals with high schizotypal unusual experiences on time-based schedules of reinforcement: fixed interval (FI), and a differential reinforcement of low rate (DRL), schedule of reinforcements. Index of curvature analysis for the FI schedule, and inter-response time analysis for the DRL schedule, demonstrated that high scorers in unusual experiences responded after a longer period of time than low scorers. However, this was dependent on the presentation order of the schedules. Taken together, the results are consistent with disruptions in the timing performance of individuals with high psychometrically-defined unusual experiences.

Section snippets

General Introduction

Meehl (1962) argued that “schizotypal” personality characteristics are commonly held in the general population. Factor analytic studies have shown that schizotypal traits are associated with schizophrenic symptoms (Bentall, Claridge, & Slade, 1989). Research using the short version of the OLIFE schizotypy questionnaire (Mason, Linney, & Claridge, 2005) has demonstrated that low scorers on the Unusual Experiences (UE) subscale have greater response rates on random-ratio (RR) schedules than on

Experiment 1

If high UE scorers over-estimate the time needed to pass to make a response, then they would display lower rates of response on both FI and DRL schedules; a tendency to respond late to any given temporal cue would produce fewer responses on these schedules. However, if a disconfirmation deficit in high UE scorers underlies their performance, then high UE scorers would have a greater overall response rate on both the FI and DRL schedules than low UE scorers; non-reinforced instances of

Experiment 2

Experiment 2 sought to replicate Experiment 1 adopting a counterbalancing procedure with respect to the orders in which the schedules were presented in order to reveal if the presentation of one of these schedules before the other plays a role in obscuring potential differences. If this were the case, then a stronger effect for the FI schedule, as described in Experiment 1 (i.e., higher IoC), should be noticed when this schedule was presented first, rather than second. Moreover, an effect of UE

General discussion

The present studies explored reasons for performance differences between low and high scoring UE participants on schedules of reinforcement. Both experiments showed evidence consistent with a timing difference in high UE participants, with high UE scorers making responses later on an FI and a DRL schedule, than low UE scorers. That there were no consistent and reliable differences in response rates between high and low UE scorers on the schedules suggests that disconfirmation deficits do not

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