Schizotypy assessment:: State of the art and future prospects

Schizotypy is considered to be a multidimensional construct distributed along a dy dynamic neurodevelopmental vulnerability continuum for schizophrenia. The interest in the assessment of schizotypy focuses on the detection of individuals at a heightened risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The purpose of this theoretical study was to review the current state of the most important tests for the measurement of schizotypy according to their psychometric properties. There is a wide range of questionnaires for the assessment of schizotypal traits with different psychometric properties. The review of the different schizotypy scales seems to indicate that both versions of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, as well as the Perceptual Aberration Scale, Magical Ideation Scale, Physical Anhedonia Scale and Revised Social Anhedonia Scale all developed by the research team of the University of Wisconsin, show better psychometric properties than the rest of the self-report questionnaires. However, the measures of schizotypy should improve in certain aspects related to the response format, test-retest reliability, and predictive validity. Future lines of research should consider different statistical models, the use of computerized procedures, and its study in different cultures.