Schizotypy is defined as a combination of traits qualitatively similar to those found in people with schizophrenia (Johns & van Os, 2001), but milder in their expression, that can be found in the general population (Badcock & Dragovic, 2006). Since animal models of schizophrenia have suggested fear learning impairments (Gill et al., 2018), we aim to explore the relationship between this type of learning and schizotypy. Some studies also suggest a higher fear conditioning measuring skin conductance response (SCR) in women than in men (Inslicht et al., 2013). Therefore, we investigate how sex may influence the social learning of fear depending on the presence of schizotypal personality traits. All participants (undergraduate students) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ; Raine, 1991). After that, during the observation phase, they visualized a video that showed a learning model sitting in front of a computer screen who received an uncomfortable shock (US) seven times (out of ten) when a specific coloured square was presented (CS+) on the screen. However, when a different coloured square (CS-) appeared, the shock was never given. Later on (test phase), they were told they were about to do the same experiment so they will receive shocks paired with the same coloured square as the learning model. However, they never received a shock. We registered participants skin conductance response (SCR) to assess learning, which allowed us to explore their autonomic response through the observation and the test phases. In order to analyse the data, we took into account the sex of our participants and their score in every factor of the SPQ. To our knowledge, this is the first study which explores the relationship between schizotypy and fear acquisition through observation. The results are discussed in light of previous literature on schizophrenia and observational fear learning.
This research was supported by a grant (PSI2015-65248-P) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, co-founded with ERDF (FEDER) funds. MGG is supported by a pre-doctoral grant by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport (FPU2015-01562).

The effect of schizotypy and sex in social fear learning