Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale
Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief
Thomas R. Kwapil
Georgina M. Gross
Paul J. Silvia
Michael L. Raulin
Neus Barrantes-Vidal
Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief
Thomas R. Kwapil
Georgina M. Gross
Paul J. Silvia
Michael L. Raulin
Neus Barrantes-Vidal
| Click here to download the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale manual |
The Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS) and Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief (MSS-B) are questionnaire measures that assess positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy in older adolescent and adult participants.
The MSS and MSS-B were developed following best practices in scale development including: (a) development of comprehensive trait specifications for the three schizotypy dimensions, (b) generation of a large pool of candidate items based on these specifications, (c) review of the items by expert and non-expert reviewers, (d) repeated administrations of the candidate items to large and diverse samples from multiple sources (n=6265) – interspersed with evaluation, modification, and dropping of items, (e) selection of final items based on content validity, classical test theory, item response theory, and differential item functioning, and (f) evaluation of the psychometric properties of the items and subscales in a large independent, cross-validation sample (n=1000).
The MSS and MSS-B have good to excellent internal consistency reliability (see manual for full psychometric properties). The items have high discrimination (based upon 2 parameter IRT models) and they exhibited minimal differential item functioning for sex and ethnicity. Test information curves indicate that the subscales are maximally discriminating at higher levels of the traits. Preliminary findings support the construct validity of the positive, negative, and disorganized subscales.
The MSS contains 77 true-false questions and the MSS-B contains 38 items. The scales were developed on participants aged 18 to 59 and the items are at an 8th grade reading level. The scales can typically be completed in under 10 minutes.
MSS & MSS-B References
Derivation and Psychometric Studies:
Kwapil, T.R., Gross, G.M., Silvia, P.J., Raulin, M.L., & Barrantes-Vidal, N. (2018). Development and psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale: A new measure for assessing positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy. Schizophrenia Research, 193, 209-217.
Gross, G.M., Kwapil, T.R., Raulin, M.L., Silvia, P.J., & Barrantes-Vidal, N. (2018). The Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief: Scale development and psychometric properties. Psychiatry Research, 216, 7-13.
Kemp, K.C., Gross, G.M., & Kwapil, T.R. (2020). Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief: Item and scale test-retest reliability and concordance of original and brief forms. Journal of Personality Assessment, 102, 508-515.
Li, L.Y., Meyer, M.S, Martin, E.A., Gross, G.M, Kwapil, T.R., & Cicero, D.C. (2020). Differential item functioning of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale and Multidimensional Scale-Brief. Psychological Assessment, 32, 383-393.
Pfarr, J.K., Meller, T., Evermann, U., Sahakyan, L., Kwapil, T.R. & Nenadić, I. (2023). Trait schizotypy and the psychosis prodrome: Current standard assessment of extended psychosis spectrum phenotypes. Schizophrenia Research, 254, 208-217.
Interview-based Validation Studies:
Hernández, L.M., Kemp, K.C., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2023). Replication of the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with interview-assessed symptoms and impairment: Convergence with previous studies. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, & Treatment, 14, 527–533.
Kemp, K.C., Bathery, A.J., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2021). Positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy predict differential patterns of interview-rated schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms and impairment. Assessment, 28, 141-152.
Kemp, K.C., Bathery, A.J., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2020). A brief questionnaire measure of multidimensional schizotypy predicts interview-rated symptoms and impairment. PLOS ONE, 15(8):
e0237614. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237614
Kwapil, T.R., Clark, H.E., Rbeiz, K.S., Bathery, A.J., Kemp, K.C., & Barrantes-Vidal, N. (2022). Association of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with cluster a, borderline, and avoidant personality disorders and traits. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, & Treatment, 13, 182-191.
Rbeiz, K., Clark, H.E., Kemp, K.C., Bathery, A.J., Monette, M.A., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2022). Invariance of the association of multidimensional schizotypy with symptoms and impairment across racial groups. Personality and Mental Health, 16, 79-89.
ESM-based Validation Studies:
Kemp, K.C., Sperry, S.H., Hernández, L.M., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (in press). Association of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with the temporal dynamics of schizotypic experiences in daily life. Schizophrenia Bulletin.
Hernández, L.M., Kemp, K.C., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2023). Disorganized Schizotypy and Neuroticism in Daily Life: Examining their Overlap and Differentiation. Journal of Research in Personality, 106, 104402.
Kemp, K.C., Sperry, S.H., Hernández, L., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2023). Affective Dynamics in Daily Life are Differentially Expressed in Positive, Negative, and Disorganized Schizotypy. Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science, 132, 110-121.
Kwapil, T.R., Kemp, K.C., Mielock, A., Sperry, S.H., Chun, C.A., Gross, G.M., & Barrantes-Vidal, N. (2020). Association of multidimensional schizotypy with psychotic-like experiences, affect, and social functioning in daily life: Comparable findings across samples and schizotypy measures. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129, 492-504.
Questionnaire-based Validation Studies:
Kwapil, T.R., Gross, G.M., Burgin, C.J., Raulin, M.L., Silvia, P.J., & Barrantes-Vidal, N. (2018). Validity of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale: Associations with schizotypal traits and normal personality. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, & Treatment, 9, 458-466.
Gross, G.M., Kwapil, T.R., Burgin, C.J., Raulin, M.L., Silvia, P.J., Kemp, K.C., & Barrantes-Vidal, N. (2018). Validation of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief in Two Large Samples. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 40, 669-677.
Kemp, K.C., Gross, G.M., Barrantes-Vidal, N. & Kwapil, T.R. (2018). Association of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy dimensions with affective symptoms and experiences. Psychiatry Research, 270, 1143-1149.
Kemp, K.C., Burgin, C.J., Raulin, M.L., & Kwapil, T.R. (2020). Using multiple measures of openness to experience to capture positive, negative, and disorganized dimensions of schizotypy. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 11, 260-269.
Kemp, K.C., Raulin, M.L., Burgin, C.J., Barrantes-Vidal, & Kwapil, T.R. (2022). Association of multiple assessments of openness to experience with a brief measure of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy. Journal of Individual Differences, 43, 1-9.
Kemp, K.C., Kaczorowski, J.A., Burgin, C.J., Raulin, M.L., Lynam, D.R., Sleep, C., Miller, J.D., Barrantes-Vidal, N., & Kwapil, T.R. (2022). Association of Multidimensional Schizotypy with PID-5 Domains and Facets. Journal of Personality Disorders, 36, 680–700.
Factor & Network Models:
Christensen, A.P., Gross, G.M., Golino, H.F., Silvia, P.J., & Kwapil, T.R. (2019). Exploratory graph analysis of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale. Schizophrenia Research, 206, 43-51.
Cognition & Multidimensional Schizotypy:
Sahakyan, L., Kwapil, T.R., & Jiang, L. (2020). Differential Impairment of Positive and Negative Schizotypy in List-Method and Item-Method Directed Forgetting. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 368-381.
Sahakyan, L., Kwapil, T.R., Lo, Y., & Jiang., L. (2019). Examination of relational memory in multidimensional schizotypy. Schizophrenia Research, 211, 36-43.
Neuroscience & Multidimensional Schizotypy:
Sahakyan, L.S., Meller, T., Evermann, U., Schmitt, S., Pfarr, J.K., Sommer, J., Kwapil, T.R., & Nenadić, I. (in press). Anterior vs. posterior hippocampal subfields in an extended psychosis phenotype of multidimensional schizotypy in a non-clinical sample. Schizophrenia Bulletin.
