Psychoticism and creativity

Eysenck and Eysenck (1976) cited a number of studies showing that creativity and originality are associated with high scores on their Psychoticism factor, P. In this study, we examined the generality of this claim by using a different set of creativity measures, scales from the Comprehensive Ability Battery (Hakstian & Cattell, 1976) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975), with a sample of 173 students. No appreciable overlap was found between the creativity scales and P. A number of possible explanations for this result are discussed, and we concluded that this finding may cast doubt on the generality of the link between creativity and P.     

Psychoticism and attentional flexibility

In three separate experiments, we tested the hypothesis that a systematic relationship between psychoticism (P) and visual selective attention is infrequently observed because the tasks typically used to test individual differences in efficiency of attentional mechanisms do not entail attentional flexibility. We manipulated the selection rule of the computerized divided visual attention (DIVA) task to be either (a) a predictable, or (b) a random manner, and a secondary task was added to check the quality of high P scorers’ performance in an interference condition; and we also introduced breaks between DIVA tasks to allow for cue utilization. Results revealed that low P scorers outperformed high P scorers in the regular selection rule alternation condition (cue utilization possible), whereas high P scorers performed better in random alternation condition – high P scorers also showed performance superiority in the dual task condition unless stimuli presentation was speeded up. Thus, P does not necessarily impair attentional performance; indeed, our data point to performance advantages of high P, especially attentional efficiency in tasks requiring small demands of attentional control.     

Creativity and Psychoticism: An Overinclusive Model

There is increasing research evidence that religious involvement is associated both cross-sectionally and prospectively with better physical health, better mental health, and longer survival. These relationships remain substantial in size and statistically significant with other risk and protective factors for morbidity and mortality statistically controlled. In this article, we review the social and psychological factors that have been hypothesized to explain the health-promoting effects of religious involvement. The four potential psychosocial mechanisms that have received empirical attention are health practices, social support, psychosocial resources such as self-esteem and self-efficacy, and belief structures such as sense of coherence. Evidence concerning these potential mediators is mixed and inconsistent, suggesting there is more to be learned about the pathways by which religion affects health. Other possible explanations for the salubrious effects of religious involvement on health and longevity are discussed.     

Psychoticism and marital satisfaction

The author has tested the hypothesis that psychoticism, as described in Eysenck's theory of personality, is related to marriage outcome. Thirty happy and 30 unhappy couples answered the Eysencks' EPQ questionnaire. The unhappy husbands and unhappy wives scored significantly higher on the P scale than their happy counterparts respectively. The results suggest that psychoticism (like neuroticism) may impair the marriage satisfaction. In addition, happily married spouses show greater similarity with respect to personality than do unhappily married spouses. Thus the results support the likeness and go counter to the complementaries theories of marital satisfaction.     

Psychoticism and attentional flexibility

In three separate experiments, we tested the hypothesis that a systematic relationship between psychoticism (P) and visual selective attention is infrequently observed because the tasks typically used to test individual differences in efficiency of attentional mechanisms do not entail attentional flexibility. We manipulated the selection rule of the computerized divided visual attention (DIVA) task to be either (a) a predictable, or (b) a random manner, and a secondary task was added to check the quality of high P scorers’ performance in an interference condition; and we also introduced breaks between DIVA tasks to allow for cue utilization. Results revealed that low P scorers outperformed high P scorers in the regular selection rule alternation condition (cue utilization possible), whereas high P scorers performed better in random alternation condition – high P scorers also showed performance superiority in the dual task condition unless stimuli presentation was speeded up. Thus, P does not necessarily impair attentional performance; indeed, our data point to performance advantages of high P, especially attentional efficiency in tasks requiring small demands of attentional control.     

Psychoticism and visual recognition thresholds

This paper presents data which are of relevance in assessing the validity of the P scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ; Eysenck and Eysenck. 1975). Frith (1979) suggested that a defect in inhibitory selective mechanisms constitutes the cognitive disorder underlying the positive symptomatology of schizophrenia: hallucinations, delusions and thought disorder. A priming paradigm was used to measure the operation of inhibitory mechanisms. It was predicted that, if psychosis is conceptualized as a pathological exaggeration of the features characterizing the trait of psychoticism then high P scorers should show a reduced inhibition effect. This prediction was confirmed, a negative correlation was found between P and the size of the inhibition effect. No correlation with IQ or other personality variables from the EPQ was found.     

Psychoticism, creativity and dichotic shadowing

Thirty Ss were presented with pairs of words simultaneously under the instruction to shadow one ear while ignoring the other (the Focused Attention condition) or to shadow one ear while attempting to remember the other (the Divided Attention condition). Ss also completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and two tests of creativity from the Wallach and Kogan battery. It was hypothesized that Ss high on EPQ Psychoticism and on creativity should make more shadowing errors of omission and intrusion. Creative Ss made significantly more errors of intrusion under the divided attention condition, but Ss scoring high on the Similarities subtest showed significantly fewer errors in the Focussed Attention condition. An ‘impulsivity’ interpretation of the data is tentatively advanced, and it is shown how this interpretation may explain a number of the anomalous findings in the psychoticism literature.     

Psychoticism and signalled versus unsignalled reaction time

Considering the findings that schizophrenics have been found to show relatively slow reaction times (RTs), and often do not benefit from ordinarily helpful information (e.g. a warning signal), the present study investigated the relationship between these variables and psychoticism (P). One hundred and three male Ss were administered a questionnaire which provides a measure of P. In addition, all Ss were tested on an RT task under unsignalled (i.e. no warning signal) and signalled conditions. The results showed that the expected improvement in reaction speed with a warning signal was of a lesser magnitude for those high on P. Furthermore, the difference was due to the faster RTs for high P scorers in the unsignalled condition. The data suggest that high P scorers are like schizophrenics in that they show less benefit from a warning signal, but are dissimilar in terms of reaction speed in an unsignalled task.     

Psychoticism,social desirability and situation selection

Previous research on personality and activity preference has shown that extraverts have a significantly and meaningfully different pattern of activity preference from introverts. This finding was also true of high and low neurotics but not to the same extent. This study was designed to see whether the traits of psychoticism and social desirability are also related to situational selection. Subjects from a large group were divided first into high P and low P scorers, and then high L and low L scorers. They indicated how much time they had spent in leisure situations over the past week; rank ordered their preferences for activities related to some of Murray's major needs and presses; rated their choice or avoidance of other abstractly described situations; and then stressful, anxiety-provoking, social situations. It was shown that both psychoticism and social desirability are related to situation selection in meaningful and predictable ways. The implications for personality assessment are considered.     

Psychoticism and sexual arousal to rape depictions

This study tested the hypothesis that high scorers on the Eysencks' P scale would become more sexually aroused by erotic material of a violent nature than low scorers. One hundred and forty-five college Ss were exposed to erotic auditory messages varying in degree of violence and pain experienced by the victim. Personality was assessed by a median split on the Eysencks' P scale. Sexual arousal was assessed by mercury strain gauge and self-report. Results, as predicted, showed a significant interaction between psychoticism and level of violence (rape vs nonrape): high P scorers showing greater sexual arousal (by both self-report and physiological assessment) to rape as compared to nonrape depictions whereas the opposite pattern occurred for low P scorers.     

The theory behind Psychoticism: a reply to Eysenck

In this reply to Eysenck, we attempt to clarify why we have criticized Eysenck's Psychoticism model and have found it necessary to introduce our own alternative model. It is concluded that the validity of the P scale as a measure of Psychoticism has not been demonstrated and that the P construct itself is untenable.     

Psychoticism and perceptual processing speed: A test of Robinson's theory

Robinson has argued that bias in the process of knowledge acquisition can give rise to either a differentiated or an integrated learning style. Individuals high on the personality dimension of psychoticism are said to have a differentiated learning style that manifests in superior performance on cognitive tasks that require differentiation of the elements or parts of immediate perceptual experience. To test this theory, 106 undergraduate students aged between 18 and 31 completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire—Revised, along with two computer‐based measures of visual processing speed: reaction time (RT) and inspection time (IT). In accord with Robinson's theory, psychoticism scores were found to be inversely related to both mean RT and IT. Moreover, multiple regression analyses indicated that the relationship between psychoticism scores and the two processing speed measures was independent of any age or gender effects. It is recommended that future research examine the relationship between psychoticism, and both poles of Robinson's differentiation versus integration dimension.     

Psychoticism and response to treatment in neurotic patients

A study is reported of neurotic patients at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, who were given the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and who were rated by their doctors for prognosis and final assessment after treatment. The results indicated that those patients who had elevated psychoticism scores took longer to improve and that doctors rated them harder to treat at final assessment. It is suggested that early knowledge of patients with a poor prognosis, in the form of their Psychoticism score, might prove helpful to psychiatrists and psychologists, both for diagnosis and (primarily) for choice of appropriate treatment.     

Psychoticism and arousal: Possible evidence for a linkage of p and psychopathy

A study is described in which two postural conditions (standing, reclining) were used to induced high and low activation levels in normal Ss divided into high and low P groups ( (HP and LP). Electrodermal and heart rate (HR) measures were recorded during each of these activation conditions which included instructions, an initial rest period, a series of tones, a rtwo-flash threshold task and a final rest period. It was found that HP Ss tended to display significantly lower automatic arousability and poorer two-flash performance while undergoing the low activation (Recline) condition. There was a reliable tendency for HP Ss to evidence significantly slower recovery and rise times and to manifest significantly lower response criterion and sensory sensitivity. They also manifested a near significantly lower mean HR than LP Ss. The performance of HP and LP groups was compared to findings reported previously for schizophrenics and psychopaths for these tasks. It was posited that the performance of the HP Ss suggests that psychoticism may be more nearly akin to psychopathy than to schizophrenia.