Attentional and vigilance deficits among MMPI-detected schizotypal college students on a continuous performance test : an honors thesis [(HONRS 499)]

Attentional and vigilance deficits were investigated among hypothetically schizotypal college students using a different version of the continuous performance test (CPT). Subjects were undergraduate college students at a large midwestern university and were selected for participation on the CPT according to Mr1P I profile types. The 2-7-8 and 8-9 profile types served as the schizotypal groups, the 4-9 profile type served as the psychiatric control group, and the "inflation-free" profile type served as the normal control group. The 8-9 profile type was employed to further support the use of this profile type as an additional indicator of schizotypy. The CPT task employed a response-reversal technique in responding to stimuli which demanded three levels of processing. Signal detection indices were applied to false alarm rates and hit rates to obtain overall sensitivity level (d') and response criterion level (13). It was hypothesized that the 2-7-8 and 8-9 groups should display similar deficits on d' further supporting the use of the 8-9 group as an additional indicator of schizotypy and further supporting a deficit on d' as being a possible trait marker of the schizophrenic state. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences between groups on any of the measures; however, group trends indicated that the 2-7-8 group obtained the highest d', contradicting previous research.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?