Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire – Brief

What it measures

Measures schizotypal personality traits in non-clinical populations — the attenuated, subclinical expression of symptoms related to schizophrenia spectrum conditions. Widely used in psychosis spectrum research to identify high-risk individuals and examine dimensional relationships between psychotic-like experiences and clinical psychosis.

Response format

Yes/No (scored 0 or 1); total 0–22

Representative items

• Do you sometimes feel that things you see on TV or read in the newspaper have a special meaning for you? (Cognitive-Perceptual)
• Do you sometimes have the feeling that some everyday event has a special message meant specifically for you? (Ideas of Reference)
• Are you sometimes sure that other people can tell what you are thinking? (Paranoid Ideation)
• Do you sometimes feel that your mind is empty? (Disorganised)
• Are you a person who is very cold and emotionally detached? (Interpersonal)

Usage notes & scoring

Freely available from Adrian Raine. Total score range 0–22; higher = more schizotypal traits. Three factor scores (cognitive-perceptual, interpersonal, disorganised) can be derived. Widely used as a screening tool in psychosis research and experimental studies on psychosis proneness.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Raine, A. (1991). The SPQ: A scale for the assessment of schizotypal personality based on DSM-III-R criteria. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 17(4), 555–564.

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