An attempt to validate the psychoticism scale of the Brief Symptom Inventory

Abstract

This study attempted to validate the psychoticism scale of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) by comparing 31 schizophrenic patients with 98 non-schizophrenic patients. Unexpectedly, the schizophrenics did not exceed the non-schizophrenics on the psychoticism symptom dimension. None of a variety of controls and comparisons provided a basis for dismissing the finding. A rationale was introduced explaining why any attempt to match symptoms with the diagnosis of schizophrenia can at best meet with only qualified success.