Schizotypal traits are not related to multisensory integration or audiovisual speech perception

• Published in: Consciousness and cognition 2020-11, Vol.86, p.103030-16, Article 103030
• Main Authors: Muller, Anne-Marie, Dalal, Tyler C., Stevenson, Ryan A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Audiovisual; Distractibility; Hallucinations; Information processing; McGurk effect; Mental disorders; Multisensory integration; Personality disorders; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia spectrum disorders; Schizotypy; Sensory integration; Speech perception; Speech-in-noise task; Ternary synchrony judgment task
• ISSN: 1053-8100; 1090-2376
• DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2020.103030

•Higher schizotypal traits were not associated with altered multisensory integration.•These traits were not associated with increased distractibility to auditory speech.•Schizotypal traits were also not related to less precise temporal processing.•Perceptual differences may not exist across the schizophrenia spectrum. Multisensory integration, the binding of sensory information from different sensory modalities, may contribute to perceptual symptomatology in schizophrenia, including hallucinations and aberrant speech perception. Differences in multisensory integration and temporal processing, an important component of multisensory integration, are consistently found in schizophrenia. Evidence is emerging that these differences extend across the schizophrenia spectrum, including individuals in the general population with higher schizotypal traits. In the current study, we investigated the relationship between schizotypal traits and perceptual functioning, using audiovisual speech-in-noise, McGurk, and ternary synchrony judgment tasks. We measured schizotypal traits using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), hypothesizing that higher scores on Unusual Perceptual Experiences and Odd Speech subscales would be associated with decreased multisensory integration, increased susceptibility to distracting auditory speech, and less precise temporal processing. Surprisingly, these measures were not associated with the predicted subscales, suggesting that these perceptual differences may not be present across the schizophrenia spectrum.