Behavioral signs of schizoidia and schizotypy in social anhedonics

Social anhedonia appears to be a promising indicator of Meehl's construct of schizotypy. While findings from diagnostic, cognitive, and psychophysiological studies have supported the validity of social anhedonia as an indicator of schizotypy, the behavioral characteristics of these putative schizotypes are not yet fully understood. This study utilized a rating system for behavioral signs of schizoidia and schizotypy to determine whether atypical interpersonal behaviors were observable in social anhedonics and to examine if these behavioral signs provide unique information, beyond traditional symptom ratings, in the identification of putative schizotypes. A community sample of 170 18–19-year-olds (85 social anhedonics, 85 controls) received diagnostic evaluations which were videotaped and subsequently rated for behavioral signs of schizoidia and schizotypy. Compared to controls, the social anhedonia group displayed significantly more behavioral signs characteristic of schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders. Behavioral signs of schizoidia accounted for a significant amount of group variance even after controlling for clinical symptom ratings. These results indicate that social anhedonics display interpersonal behaviors consistent with risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and that these behavioral signs convey information about group status that is not accounted for by traditional clinical interview ratings of symptomatology.