Schizotypal Trait Scale (STA) in Adolescences: Factor Analysis and Validation

The aim of this study was to investigate psychometric properties of Schizotypal Trait Scale (STA) in adolescents.

This survey study was conducted on a group of 400 normal adolescents in Tabriz schools.

Principal Component Analysis with promax rotation for STA extracted three factors which were labeled unusual perceptual experiences, magical thinking and paranoid suspiciousness/social anxiety factors respectively. However for this scale other type of validity (correlation between subscales and the whole scale and among subscales) and test retest internal constancy reliabilities were reported.

The factor analysis demonstrated a different factor structure for STA to that previously found in studies of adults. Accordingly, it was concluded that STA can be used, as a valid measure for schizotypal and schizophrenia difficulties.