Semantic ambiguity resolution in positive schizotypy: a right hemisphere interpretation.

ABSTRACT

Positive schizotypal traits have been associated with right hemisphere activation. Previous research has indicated that the left and right hemispheres differ in their processing of semantic ambiguity; specifically, given sufficient time, the left hemisphere primes dominant meanings and inhibits subordinate meanings, and the right hemisphere primes both dominant and subordinate meanings. The authors examined whether individuals who differed in positive schizotypy demonstrated different patterns of priming on a semantic ambiguity task, reflective of differences in hemispheric activation. Individuals low in schizotypy demonstrated the expected pattern of priming the dominant meaning while inhibiting the subordinate meaning. Individuals high in schizotypy demonstrated similar priming of the dominant meaning but no inhibition of the subordinate meaning. The role of this failure of inhibition in the generation of schizotypal thought is discussed.