Schizotypy As an Organizing Framework for Social and Affective Sciences
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View metadata,Schizophrenia citation and similarBulletin papers vol. 41 atsuppl. core.ac.uk no. 2 pp. S427–S435, 2015 brought to you by CORE doi:10.1093/schbul/sbu195 provided by Serveur académique lausannois Schizotypy as An Organizing Framework for Social and Affective Sciences Alex S. Cohen*,1, Christine Mohr2, Ulrich Ettinger3, Raymond C. K. Chan4, and Sohee Park5 1Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA; 2Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Switzerland; 3Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Germany; 4Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; 5Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. *To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, US; tel: 225-578-7017, fax: 225-578-4125, e-mail: [email protected] Schizotypy, defined in terms of commonly occurring person- schizophrenia spectrum pathology, has been an impor- ality traits related to the schizophrenia spectrum, has been tant construct for understanding the neurodevelop- an important construct for understanding the neurodevel- ment and stress-diathesis of schizophrenia.1–5 Indeed, opment and stress-diathesis of schizophrenia. However, as Lenzenweger1 noted its importance as an “organizing schizotypy nears its sixth decade of application, it is impor- framework” for understanding schizophrenia spectrum tant to acknowledge its impressively rich literature accumu- pathology. Schizotypy also has a rich empirical literature lating outside of schizophrenia research. In this article, we outside of psychiatry research, and has been of interest make the case that schizotypy has considerable potential to a diverse set of disciplines, including neuroscience, as a conceptual framework for understanding individual genetics, evolution, personality, experimental psychol- differences in affective and social functions beyond those ogy, parapsychology, religion, industrial and organiza- directly involved in schizophrenia spectrum pathology. This tional psychology, anthropology, art, music, education, case is predicated on (a) a burgeoning literature noting and philosophy. This multidisciplinary interest highlights anomalies in a wide range of social functioning, affiliative, the expanding utility of the schizotypy construct well positive and negative emotional, expressive, and social cog- beyond the borders of schizophrenia spectrum pathol- nitive systems, (b) practical and methodological features ogy. A particularly important focus of recent work has associated with schizotypy research that help facilitate involved social and emotional anomalies, as both are empirical investigation, and (c) close ties to theoretical core components of schizotypy and integral to human constructs of central importance to affective and social sci- functioning and civilization. The primary purpose of this ence (eg, stress diathesis, neural compensation). We high- article is to evaluate schizotypy as an “organizing frame- light recent schizotypy research, ie providing insight into work” for social and affective sciences beyond its utility the nature of affective and social systems more generally. for understanding schizophrenia. To this end, we will (a) This includes current efforts to clarify the neurodevelop- briefly highlight the literature on social and affective func- mental, neurobiological, and psychological underpinnings tions in schizotypy, (b) discuss how understanding social of affiliative drives, hedonic capacity, social cognition, and and affective anomalies in schizotypy can uniquely pro- stress responsivity systems. Additionally, we discuss neural vide insights about these functions more generally, and compensatory and resilience factors that may mitigate the (c) highlight some recent exemplars of how schizotypy expression of stress-diathesis and functional outcome, and research informs our understanding of the neurobiologi- highlight schizotypy’s potential role for understanding cul- cal, neurodevelopmental, psychological, and cultural sys- tural determinants of social and affective functions. tems underlying social and affective functions. Key words: schizophrenia/schizotypy/emotion/affect/ Social and Affective Functions in Schizotypy social/motivation/drive/negative Social and affective abnormalities in relation to schizo- typal traits appear across a widely distributed and inter- Introduction connected set of systems and adversely impact quality Schizotypy, defined as a set of both genetically and of life. Both positive and negative schizotypal traits have environmentally influenced personality traits related to been associated with fewer self-reported social activities © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: [email protected] S427 A. S. Cohen et al as well as difficulties in occupational, recreational, rela- the magnitude of subjective experience of abnormali- tional, and academic domains assessed using structured ties exceeds that observed in chronic outpatients with interviews.6–8 Social abnormalities, notably in the fre- schizophrenia.17 Dovetailing these findings is evidence quency and intensity of social interactions, have also been that psychophysiological and neurobiological responses associated with elevated positive and negative schizo- to emotional stimuli are sometimes exaggerated in people typy in daily life as documented by ecologically valid with schizotypy.20 In short, anomalous subjective emo- mobile assessment methods.9 These social dysfunctions tional experiences are closely tied to schizotypy. appear to reflect reduced social competence; not merely Related to the social and affective abnormalities in as a consequence of avoidant or introverted tendencies, schizotypy are reductions in communication and expres- in that they have been demonstrated during structured sive behaviors. Constricted affect, characterized by laboratory–based interactions with confederates, at least reduced facial, vocal, and gestural expressions, is central in individuals with social anhedonia.10,11 Importantly, to schizotypy, and is a symptom of schizotypal person- schizotypy is not associated with general impairments ality disorder per Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of across all domains of functioning, as shown by relatively Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM 5).21 Self-report intact academic performance,12 cognitive abilities,13 mat- measures of expressivity indicate that individuals with ing success12, and abnormally enhanced creativity14 in at high social anhedonia express themselves less intensely least some studies. and frequently than their peers.22 Observers’ behavioral Closely tied to the social dysfunctions in schizotypy ratings of social anhedonics engaged in social interac- are affective anomalies, in particular, “social anhedo- tions also suggests that their expressive gestures are nia”—defined in terms of a trait–like disturbance in the abnormally low.10,22 Moreover, measures of constricted experience of affiliative states. Cross-sectional and labo- affect have been associated with reductions in social func- ratory studies provide evidence that social anhedonia is tioning and quality of life.7,19 Studies employing objective important to the schizotypy construct, and is associated methods, such as computerized facial or vocal analy- with relatively poor social functioning and schizophre- sis, have not uniformly supported the notion that indi- nia–like abnormalities—though typically attenuated in viduals with elevated schizotypal traits show constricted severity.6,7 Mobile assessment9 and longitudinal15,16 stud- affect,23,24 though there is evidence that high negative ies have also provided evidence that social anhedonia is schizotypal traits may be associated with more sparse and tied to the emergence of schizophrenia spectrum pathol- flatter speech under cognitively challenging conditions23 ogy. Social anhedonia, and negative schizotypy more and that highly schizotypal individuals who are report- generally, reflect reduced interest and drive to participate ing symptoms of psychosis tend to show reduced facial in social activities, ie separable from negative affect, such expressions.24 as social anxiety and depression.9,17 Moreover, social Finally, disruptions in social cognitive processes have anhedonia is distinguishable from low positive affect and been evaluated in relation to schizotypy. With respect to extraversion.18 Thus, social anhedonia appears to reflect a emotion perception, laboratory studies of faces, bodies, relatively specific anomaly in social and affective reward and prosody in relation to schizotypy have yielded mixed processes, ie related to schizophrenia pathology. and relatively nuanced findings. Elevated schizotypy is Affective anomalies in relation to schizotypy manifest not necessarily associated with deficits in identifying well beyond affiliative states. First, general abnormali- facial emotional expressions25,26 although specific facial ties in subjective experience of emotion are particularly emotion perception impairments have been associated striking in schizotypy, with low levels of positive affect with increased positive,27 negative25,28, and disorganized29 (eg, “physical” anhedonia, reduced extraversion) and schizotypal traits in