Subclinical dissociation, schizotypy, and traumatic distress

The current study looked at the overlap between dissociation and schizotypy and examined two potential sources from which this overlap might originate: fantasy proneness and traumatic distress. From a sample of 191 undergraduates, those scoring in the upper and lower quartile of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) were selected. Next, the scores of these groups on well-established schizotypy scales were compared to each other. The high-DES group had significantly higher schizotypy scores than the low-DES group. Although both groups also differed with regard to fantasy proneness and, to a lesser extent, traumatic distress, analyses of covariance showed that these variables could not explain group differences in schizotypy. Alternative interpretations of the dissociation–schizotypy link are discussed. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.