40 chronic schizophrenics were tested on 3 measures of overinclusive thinking, i.e., Epstein's test, proverbs and the Object Sorting Test, and then were rated for severity of illness with the Psychotic Reaction Profile. The results showed that severity of illness can be a significant source of variance in assessing schizophrenic thought disorder. Overinclusive thinking is not merely a trait evinced by schizophrenics irregardless of subject variable or stimulus elements. Failure to consider these factors in research designs may obscure the results of potentially meaningful research.
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