Bishop, Eysenck, Block, and psychoticism.

J. Block (see record 1978-28560-001) questioned evidence for the validity of the Eysenck Psychoticism (P) scale based on the psychophysiological findings of G. S. Claridge and H. J. Chappa (see record 1974-02520-001) that Ss high in psychoticism showed an unusual and counterintuitive relationship between 2-flash threshold and skin conductance. The present authors argue that Block's criticism that the result may be ephemeral is incorrect for 3 reasons. First, the cut-off point used to define the low skin conductance range over which the relationship was most evident was not as arbitrary as Block suggests. Second, replication data demonstrated the same result. And third, the unusual psychophysiology found in high P Ss has also been observed in normal Ss under LSD-25 and in acute schizophrenics. However, the present authors also point out that all their work on psychoticism was based on an earlier version of the Eysenck Personality Inventory (the Psychoticism-Extraversion-Neuroticism Inventory), whose items may have more face validity than the published version. Finally, D. V. M. Bishop's (see record 1978-30744-001) interpretation of the present authors' dimensional concept of psychoticism is corrected. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)