title: Metacognitive processes in psychometrically defined schizotypy.
abstract: Metacognitive abnormalities have been implicated in the experience of psychotic symptoms; however, the process through which this occurs remains unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the association of self-reported schizotypy with metacognitive beliefs and neural activity related to higher-order cognition. Event-related potentials (ERPs) including the error-related negativity (ERN) and error positivity (Pe) were recorded during a Flanker task in 20 controls and 22 individuals with high self-reported schizotypy on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief Revised (SPQ-BR). Participants continuously evaluated their task performance and completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30). The high schizotypy group demonstrated higher scores on all subscales of the MCQ-30. In contrast, task performance, accuracy of self-performance evaluation, and amplitudes of the ERN and Pe did not differ between groups. The MCQ-30 factors that measure cognitive confidence and positive beliefs about worry significantly predicted SPQ-BR total score, whereas ERPs did not. High self-reported schizotypy appears to be more associated with dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs than physiological abnormalities in brain areas related to metacognition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA. Electronic address: chichan@knights.ucf.edu.
authors.forename: Chi C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Chloe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viegas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bedwell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067489:Metacognition; D011594:Psychometrics; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Error monitoring; Error-related negativity; Metacognitive beliefs; Psychosis; Schizotypy