Attention to praise and criticism in people with schizotypal experiences relates to lack of emotional support: An electroencephalography study
Poster A28, Monday, October%208, 11:30%20am%20-%201:00%20pm, Essex%20Ballroom
Preethi Premkumar1, Joshua Baker1, Liam Cahill1, Girlie Toindepi1, Joeffrey Apo-Katigbak1, Nadja Heym1, Luis Carretie2; 1Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, U.K., 2Department of Psychology, University of Madrid (Autonomous), Madrid, Spain
Background: People with schizotypal traits experience poor family communication, such as criticism. They have less-than-normal insula activity during a close relative’s praise, implying a lack of reward from praise. This study aimed to determine whether the event-related potentials (ERPs) of early attention (P200 and P300) are greater during mood descriptors that are emotionally-matched to praise and criticism, than during a standard mood descriptor that does not emotionally match praise and criticism in people with schizotypy. The study aimed to test whether the amplitudes of P200 and P300 ERPs would relate to family expressed emotion. Method: Ten participants with high schizotypy performed an emotional oddball task while undergoing electroencephalography. Here, participants listened to standard praise, criticism and neutral comments. After each comment, a standard or an emotional mood descriptor appeared on a computer screen for 1 second. The mean and peak amplitudes of the P200 and P300 ERPs were measured during the mood descriptors. These amplitudes were correlated against participants’ scores on the Level of Expressed Emotion scale. Results: The mean and peak amplitudes of the P200 ERP were greater during emotional, than standard, mood descriptors. Greater P200 peak amplitude during positive mood descriptors that followed praise related to perceived level of expressed emotion - lack of emotional support. Conclusion: People with high schizotypy attend to mood descriptors that are emotionally-matched to praise and criticism, more than to a standard non-emotional word. Greater P200 amplitude, implying early attention to praise, relates to less perceived emotional support from a close relative.
Topic Area: Electrophysiology