Covariation of Two‐flash Threshold and Autonomic Arousal for High and Low Scorers on a Measure of Psychoticism

This study tested the covariation hypothesis of nervous typological theory that normals scoring high arid low on a psychoticism measure would show the same covariation patterns for psychophysical and autonomic nervous system measures at the low range of arousal as that found for comparisons of normal and psychiatrically sick individuals. Using scores from the latest forms of the Eysenck psychoticism and neuroticism scales, a group of male college students were divided into high P, high N and low N groups. Use of the constant stimuli method for presentation of two‐flash threshold (TFT) stimuli provided estimates of not only threshold but response criterion and sensory sensitivity scores as well. At the low range of arousal, high P subjects showed a covariation pattern opposite to that of both low P groups for threshold and skin conductance, heart rate and spontaneous response scores. Response criterion and sensory sensitivity measures showed similar but weaker trends in the same direction. These results were viewed as providing only limited support for the covariation hypothesis since only a few of the correlations reached acceptable significance levels.