Perceived criticism and perceived praise predict schizotypy in the non-clinical population: the role of affect and perceived expressed emotion.

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Abstract

Background: Schizotypy is a cluster of personality traits consisting of magical beliefs, perceptual aberrations, disorganisation, and anhedonia. Schizotypy denotes a vulnerability for psychosis, one reason being psychosocial stress. High Expressed emotion (EE), a rating of high criticism, hostility, and emotional over-involvement from a close relative, denotes psychosocial stress and vulnerability to psychosis, and is associated with schizotypy. This study aimed to decipher the relationship of schizotypy to perceived criticism and perceived praise in terms of affect and perceived EE.
Methods: Ninety-eight healthy participants listened to short audio-clips containing criticism, praise, and neutral comments from a stranger, and evaluated them in terms of the comments’ arousal and personal relevance. Participants also answered self-report questionnaires of schizotypy, depression, mood, and perceived EE. Correlational analyses tested the relationship between schizotypy and the evaluations of criticism and praise. Mediation analyses then tested whether depression, positive mood, and perceived EE explained these relationships.
Results: Greater personal relevance of the criticism correlated with higher positive schizotypy. This association was fully mediated by high depression and perceived irritability from a close relative. Lower personal relevance of praise correlated with higher cognitive disorganisation (another schizotypal trait). This relationship was partially mediated by low positive mood and high perceived intrusiveness from a close relative.
Conclusion: Schizotypy is characterised by greater perceived criticism and lower perceived praise in the healthy population. Affect explains these relationships, such that depression increases perceived criticism, while positive mood increases perceived praise. Perceived EE from a close relative also defines the interpersonal nature of schizotypy.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Psychiatry
Early online date21 Nov 2018
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 21 Nov 2018

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