Associations between dimensions of alexithymia and psychometric schizotypy in nonclinical participants

The goal of the following study was to examine the association between alexithymia and various aspects of psychometric schizotypy in nonclinical participants. One hundred and seven participants completed the Launay-Slade Hallucinations Scale, the 21-item version of the Peters et al. Delusions Inventory, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, and the Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire. There was found an association between interpersonal schizotypy and difficulties verbalizing and identifying emotions. Hallucination-proneness was associated with higher levels of fantasizing and emotionalizing. Finally, delusion-proneness was associated with difficulties identifying emotions, and with higher levels of fantasizing and emotionalizing. These findings suggest that alexithymia dimensions are differentially associated with psychometric schizotypy. In particular, symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions seem to be related to elevated levels of emotionalizing, whereas interpersonal schizotypy is related to difficulty verbalizing and identifying emotions.