People with High Schizotypy Experience More Illusions in the Pattern
Glare Test: Consistent with the Hyperexcitability Hypothesis
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD)
exhibit a constellation of sensory and perceptual impairments, including
hyporeactivity to external input. However, individuals with SSD also
report subjective experiences of sensory flooding, suggesting sensory
hyperexcitability. To identify the extent to which behavioral indices of
hyperexcitability are related to non-psychotic symptoms of
schizophrenia, we tested a non-clinical population measured for
schizophrenia-like traits (schizotypy), and a behavioral measure of
sensory hyperexcitability, specifically the number of illusions seen in
the Pattern Glare Test. Two samples totaling 913 individuals completed
an online version of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire – Brief
Revised (SPQ-BR) and the Pattern Glare Test. Individuals with higher
schizotypy traits reported more illusions in the Pattern Glare Test.
Additionally, one of the three SPQ-BR factors, the disorganized factor,
significantly predicted the number of illusions reported. These data
illustrate the potential for research in non-clinical samples to inform
clinically relevant research.