# Attentional biases, as measured by motion-induced blindness, are linked to schizophrenia traits

## TL;DR

This study shows that attentional biases measured through a visual task are linked to traits associated with schizophrenia, suggesting a potential screening tool.

## Contribution

The study reveals a complex relationship between spatial attention biases and schizophrenia traits using motion-induced blindness.

## Key findings

- Higher SPQ scores correlated with a top field bias.
- Interpersonal and PAS scores linked to a right field bias (p = .007).
- Cognitive-perceptual scores linked to a left field bias.

## Abstract

Typically, people demonstrate a small attentional bias towards the left visual field. This bias has not consistently been observed in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia has been thought to be linked to a top visual field bias, due to an impaired dorsal stream found in those individuals. Here we assessed left/right and upper/lower spatial biases measuring perceptual disappearances in a motion-induced blindness (MIB) task and link those to schizophrenia traits. The sample were consisted of first year psychology students (N = 54; 22 males, 31 females, and 1 prefer not to say; age 18–54 years; median age = 23). Schizophrenia traits were measured using the schizotypal personality questionnaire (SPQ) and perceptual aberration scale (PAS). We found that higher SPQ scores correlated with a top field bias. Higher interpersonal scores (an SPQ subscore) linked to a right field, and so did PAS (p = .007). Higher cognitive-perceptual scores linked to a left field bias. Taken together, this study supports a complex relation between spatial attention and schizophrenia traits in MIB, in which a top field bias may reflect an impaired dorsal stream. A possible implication of these findings is that MIB may serve as a potential tool for screening early schizophrenia traits.