title: Schizotypal personality questionnaire--brief revised (updated): An update of norms, factor structure, and item content in a large non-clinical young adult sample.
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.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Psychology Department, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA; Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 300 George St., Suite 901, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. Electronic address: charles.a.davidson@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Charlie A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.affiliation: University of Kansas, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, Dole Human Development Center Rm 1052, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. Electronic address: lesa@ku.edu.
authors.forename: Lesa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Psychology Department, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, USA. Electronic address: wspaulding@unl.edu.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Spaulding
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Confirmatory factor analysis; Psychometrics; Reliability; Scale development; Schizophrenia; Serious mental illness; Validity