Recognition and judgment of facial stimuli in schizotypal subjects

Affect recognition abilities, an important component of successful social functioning, were examined in two groups of schizotypal subjects who were identified by the Perceptual Aberration/Magical Ideation and Physical Anhedonia Scales (PABS, MIS, PAS). Prior research has demonstrated social impairments in subjects identified by these scales and in schizophrenics. Although research has shown schizophrenic subjects to have facial affect recognition deficits, the present results did not support the hypothesis that such impairments would appear in subjects exhibiting similar symptoms, but to a less severe degree, when compared with controls. The results suggest that deficits in emotional decoding may appear at a relatively late stage in the developmental course of mental disorder, or may only be associated with more severe levels of schizophrenia-spectrum symptomatology. The paper discusses theoretical and methodological implications for research on the components and development of social deficits in the schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.