A reassessment of the higher-order factor structure of the German Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-G) in German-speaking adults

David Barron*, Martin Voracek, Ulrich S. Tran, Hui San Ong, Kevin D. Morgan, Tony Towell, Viren Swami

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) is a widely-used self-report instrument for the assessment of schizotypal personality traits. However, the factor structure of scores on English and non-English translations of the SPQ has been a matter of debate. With little previous factorial evaluation of the German version of the SPQ (SPQ-G), we re-assessed the higher-order factor structure of the measure. A total of 2,428 German-speaking adults from Central Europe (CE) and the United Kingdom (UK) completed the SPQ-G. Confirmatory factor analysis – testing proposed 2-, 3-, and 4-factor models of SPQ-G scores – indicated that the 4-factor solution had best fit. Partial measurement invariance across cultural group (CE and UK) and sex was obtained for the 4-factor model. Further analyses showed CE participants had significantly higher scores than UK participants on one schizotypal facet. These results suggest that scores on the SPQ-G are best explained in terms of a higher-order, 4-factor solution in German migrant and non-migrant adults.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)328-336
Number of pages9
JournalPsychiatry Research
Volume269
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2018

Keywords

  • Confirmatory factor analysis
  • Invariance
  • Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire
  • Schizotypy
  • SPQ-G

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Biological Psychiatry

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