Schizotypal Symptoms and Cognition 1 The Relationship of Schizotypal Symptoms with Cognitive Functioning is Differentiated by Sex Among Young Adults

Schizophrenia research shows cognitive impairments in areas such as working memory and intellectual functioning. However, less research has focused on these relationships, and the differential associations in the two sexes, among healthy samples. This study determined the relationship between schizotypal traits, as measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B), and working memory and estimated intelligence in 65 college undergraduates. Working memory was assessed using the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) and estimated IQ was measured using the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR). No correlation was found between SPQ scores and memory in the total sample or separately for each sex. A correlation was found between the Interpersonal subscale and total subscale of the SPQ-B and the WTAR subscales in males. These results indicate a negative association between schizotypal traits and estimated IQ in college students. This is in line with the view that schizotypy lies on a continuum between normality and clinically expressed schizophrenia. The results also suggest differences between the sexes and their relationship to trait expression and cognitive functioning which further underscores the importance of examining sex differences in schizophrenia research.