Differential Impairment of Positive and Negative Schizotypy in List-Method and Item-Method Directed Forgetting

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Schizophrenia is characterized by cognitive impairment and this impairment is expected to occur, albeit to a lesser degree, in people putatively at risk for schizophrenia. Two experiments assessed the relationship between directed forgetting (DF) and schizotypy, which is a multidimensional construct that reflects the expression of the underlying vulnerability for schizophrenia. Experiment 1 involved itemmethod DF and Experiment 2 involves list-method DF study. The schizotypy dimensions exhibited differential patterns of impairment across the 2 methods that suggest different underlying processes. Positive schizotypy showed impairment in item-method DF that was driven by reduced ability to forget forget-cued items, whereas performance on remember-cued items was unaffected in positive schizotypy. Despite the deficit in item-method DF, positive schizotypy participants showed preserved performance in list-method DF. The opposite pattern was found in negative schizotypy participants, who showed impairment in list-method DF, despite preserved performance in item-method DF. Negative schizotypy was previously associated with deficits in context processing and, consistent with context-change account of list-method DF, showed deficits in list-method DF task. Positive schizotypy is characterized by deficits in inhibitory control and, consistent with inhibitory account of item-method DF, showed deficits in item-method DF task. Collectively, these results (a) suggest that different DF methods involve different underlying mechanisms, (b) support the context-account of list-method DF and an inhibitory account of item-method DF, and (c) support the multidimensional model of schizotypy by showing differential impairment in positive and negative schizotypy across the 2 DF tasks.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)368-381
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Experimental Psychology: General
Volume149
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019

Keywords

  • context processing
  • directed forgetting
  • inhibitory control
  • schizotypy

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental Neuroscience
  • General Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Differential Impairment of Positive and Negative Schizotypy in List-Method and Item-Method Directed Forgetting'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this