Empathy and Schizotypy: A Network Comparison of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index in High and Low Schizotypy Groups

Author:

Hammer Lillian A.1ORCID,Karnick Aleksandr12ORCID,Beals Kendall1ORCID,Luther Lauren3,Bonfils Kelsey A.1

Affiliation:

1. Department of Psychology, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA

2. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA

3. Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA

Abstract

Empathy is a multifaceted concept that is vital to effective social functioning; yet, it is impaired in high schizotypy groups. Furthermore, empathy has been found to be a mediator in the relationship between schizotypy and social functioning, highlighting the importance of empathy as a driver in social outcomes. Despite this, the four-factor structure of a widely-used measure of empathy—the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)—has been found to be psychometrically weak in high schizotypy samples. As such, this study aimed to assess differences in the item-level network of the IRI between high (n = 427) and low schizotypy groups (n = 470). The results reveal that there are significant differences in the structure of these networks, though they evidence similar strengths. Within the high schizotypy group, the network structure was consistent with the four-factor structure of the IRI subscales; items from each subscale clustered together and were distinct from those in the other subscales. By contrast, the low schizotypy group evidenced six clusters that did not mirror the IRI subscales. These results suggest that the item-level structure of the IRI is dependent upon the level of schizotypy of the sample, with the high schizotypy group’s network functioning similarly to what would be expected from the original four-factor structure.

Funder

Eagle SPUR Award from the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research (DCUR) at the University of Southern Mississippi

School of Psychology at USM

National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences Award

National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health

Publisher

MDPI AG

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