title: Validation of the French Autism Spectrum Quotient scale and its relationships with schizotypy and Eysenckian personality traits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autism and schizophrenia spectra were long considered distinct entities. Yet, recent studies emphasized overlapping clinical and personality features suggesting common mechanisms and liabilities. Independent notions, however, highlight that the two spectra oppose each other socially (positive schizotypal hyper-mentalism versus autistic hypo-mentalism).
  
  
  METHODS
  To clarify these relationships, we used data from 921 French-speaking Swiss undergraduates to firstly validate the French Autism Spectrum Questionnaire (AQ) identifying an optimal factor structure. Secondly, we assessed relationships between this AQ structure and schizotypic personality traits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results from correlational and principal component analyses replicated both overlapping and opposing relationships.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conjecture that autistic traits opposing positive schizotypy represent autistic mentalizing deficits. We discuss implications of our findings relative to theories of autism and schizophrenia spectrum relationships.
authors.affiliation: University of Lausanne, Institute of Psychology, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: guillaume.sierro@unil.ch.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sierro
authors.affiliation: University of Lausanne, Institute of Psychology, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rossier
authors.affiliation: University of Lausanne, Institute of Psychology, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mohr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D056345:Theory of Mind; D055815:Young Adult