Smoking status affects men and women differently on schizotypal traits and cognitive failures

Men have a greater risk of schizophrenia than women, and are generally heavier smokers than women. Smoking has been viewed as a form of self-medication in both schizophrenia and schizotypy, to the degree that it helps control negative symptoms and enhance cognitive function. To identify how smoking affects men and women differently on schizotypal traits and cognitive failures, the effects of gender and smoking on schizotypy traits and cognitive failures were assessed in 613 undergraduate men and women (mean age = 19.0 years), using Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). Participants were divided into non-smokers, daily smokers, and non-daily smokers. In general, men showed more Interpersonal and Disorganized Deficits (SPQ) and Names Lapses (CFQ; failure to recall a name), than women. Independent of gender, daily smoking was associated with greater Cognitive-Perceptual Deficits (SPQ) and more Names Lapses, and non-daily smoking was positively correlated with memory (CFQ). In addition, non-daily smoking was associated with increased Interpersonal Deficits in men but decreased scores on this scale in women. Support for the self-medication model of smoking was found among daily smoking, but the relationship among non-daily smoking, schizotypy, cognitive failures, and gender was complex, bearing closer scrutiny in future research.