Interpersonal deviance and consequent social impact in hypothetically schizophrenia-prone men

Interpersonal deviance is central to the theory of and research on schizotypal psychopathology. The present study investigated interpersonal deviance and its corresponding impact among hypothetically schizotypic, or schizophrenia-prone, men, defined by high scores on the Perceptual Aberration-Magical Ideation (Per-Mag) Scale. In a videotaped interview, high-scoring Ss relative to control Ss were rated as more odd (p < .001) and more avoidant (p < .05) in their interview behavior and made the interviewers feel more anxious (p < .05), more angry (p < .05), and less interested (p < .05). Other analyses revealed that oddness was the strongest discriminating variable and that this behavior could not be accounted for by social anxiety or lack of interest. These results provide further construct validation for the Per-Mag scale and suggest that interpersonal factors may influence the eventual adjustment of high-scoring individuals.