The complex interplay between schizotypy and emotional, cognitive and psychological factors

This thesis is focused on the complex relationships between schizotypy and a host of emotional, cognitive and psychological factors suggested to be risk factors or adverse outcomes for psychosis. The factors of interest included: cognitive insight, negative affect, psychological wellbeing, self-stigma for seeking psychological help, dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, neurocognition and social cognition. The complex interplay of these factors has remained relatively unexplored in schizotypy and was investigated in this thesis by utilising multiple regression and complex mediation models in five empirical study chapters. Study one found multidimensional schizotypy traits had differential relationships with the cognitive insight subcomponents- self-reflectiveness and self-certainty. Furthermore, the results indicated that the relationship between schizotypy and psychological wellbeing was mediated in serial by self-reflectiveness and negative affect, extending the “insight paradox” to schizotypy. Study two found that schizotypy was associated with greater self-stigma for seeking psychological help, and psychological wellbeing and the cognitive insight subcomponent- self-certainty mediated these relationships. Study three found that multidimensional schizotypy traits had differential relationships with dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs, and these beliefs mediated the relationship between schizotypy and both cognitive insight subcomponents, negative affect and psychological wellbeing. Against expectations, study four found only weak associations between a small number of neurocognition domains and one schizotypy trait (impulsive non-conformity), cognitive insight and psychological wellbeing. Study five found that out of four social cognition domains (theory of mind, emotion processing, social perception and attribution bias), only attribution bias was associated with schizotypy. Attribution bias also mediated the relationships between schizotypy and both cognitive insight subcomponents, negative affect and psychological wellbeing. Combined, the findings of the thesis not only provide a more coherent understanding of the complex relationships occurring in schizotypy, but also provide additional evidence for patterns that are potentially occurring across the psychosis continuum.