The Schizotypal Personality

This type of personality structure is somewhat rare in the typical workplace. The reason is behavior that is disordered or close to disorder is what might loosely be called weird. You might, nonetheless, find this type of personality structure in more entry level positions like mail room worker, janitor, and other similar entry and temporary positions.

Some of the behaviors by the Virginia Tech mass murder demonstrate some of the initial presenting behavior of a Schizotypal personality. Excessive social anxiety and isolation that does not diminish with familiarity is a major indicator (never related to his roommates). In the workplace, a loaner or withdrawn type of person who remains isolated and anxious even after knowing their co-workers for a long time is a tipoff to this type of personality structure. Odd beliefs and magical thinking, suspiciousness or paranoid idealation, and constricted or inappropriate affect are the next level of presenting behavioral traits of a schizotypal personality. Thus, like the Virginia Tech murderer, if they have imaginary girlfriends, think people are talking about them (an example), and show inappropriate affect (say something sad, but show another emotion, or none), you are now probably dealing with a potential schizotypal personality. Another indicator is odd thinking and speech characterized by what looks like wandering, free association, vague, over-elaborate speech in response to an inquiry. If you pay enough attention to the answer to a question from a schizotypal personality type, you may forget what question you asked.

The Schizotypal personality lies beneath the Schizoid and Avoidant personality types. Thus, the Schizotypal personality can be more Schizoid-like, passively detached from others, or Avoidant-like, more actively detached from others.

A person with Schizotypal personality traits rather than being disordered is harder to distinguish from some other personality traits like Schizoid, Avoidant, or simply someone who is introverted. Nonetheless, some key indicators are a strong interest in the occult, the extrasensory, and supernatural combined with indifference to social convention, leading unusual lifestyles, few close relationships, use abstract and speculative thinking, sensitive to how others think about them, and tend to rely solely on their own feelings and beliefs.

There certainly is a genetic influence on this type of personality structure. A child who is more passive, disengaged, is nervous, and reacts negatively to criticism shows pre-Schizoid behaviors. Pre-schizophrenic behavior is more disruptive and excitable.

Family/environmental patterns include an atmosphere of excessive indifference, impassivity, or formality, parental belittlement and humiliation resulting in distrust of others, contradictory and illogical messages by punishing for being autonomous, bizarre control tactics (if you don’t get good grades, you grandmother will die), confusing parental messages that contribute to cognitive distortion. The family interpersonal context creates confusion both cognitively and emotionally so that the child imputes wrong motives and feelings thereby being required to develop their own interpersonal reactions to these misunderstanding. Thus, their self-talk becomes just as confusing as their interpersonal communications. Parents who use “Santa Claus behavior” (When I am at work, I can see if you are being a good boy/girl) contributes to the development of Schizotypal personality. Also, detached parental observations on behavior that are substituted for genuine caring is sometimes present. Statements to a small child like “Someday, you’ll be an important person”, as a reaction to the child drawing a cute picture and running up to show mommy, falls in this area.

In the workplace, is it important to remember that the worker with a Schizotypal trait is inherently paranoid (to certain degrees). Add to this a tendency for magical thinking and ideas of reference (“I knew they were setting me up”) and you have a real problem when you confront such a person for some behavioral deviation from the company norm. If your corporate culture is in any way characterized by collective conspiracy rumors, this type of staff person will keep the fires lit. A core approach to positively dealing with staff with Schizotypal traits is to concentrate on self-worth. A supervisor should work with the employee to directly link concrete behavior with positive outcomes and help the employee gain a perspective on which behaviors work best. The supervisor can also positively correct distorted thinking and reasoning in real time and most especially, constantly demand compliance with respect-in-the-workplace guidelines.

If you are, in fact, dealing with a person with Schizotypal personality disorder, I would confront the problem quickly and directly by getting help in addressing the situation. Certainly, requiring a mental health assessment should be considered. Be careful, however, in simply firing the person for “being wacko”, because this is a perfect setup for the person “going postal” and creating a serious security problem for your company. Each case is different and I would quickly get help in dealing with the specific problem employee. Supervisors who are indoctrinated with and rely strongly on corporate regulations and “my way or the highway” type of supervision are particularly vulnerable to acting too quickly and inappropriately to this type of employee.