Statistically speaking, few of you reading this are schizophrenic, but perhaps a fair amount of you have schizotypal personalities--odd behavior, maybe some social awkwardness, but not full-blown-nuts. And if you are schizotypal, chances are you're more functionally creative.
Psychologists Brad Folley and Sohee Park conducted a study comparing the creativity of schizophrenics, schizotypes and people of normal mental health. Subjects were shown typical household devices and asked to think up new uses for them. Schizotypes did the best (while, scarily, normal folk and schizophrenics fared about the same). Scans showed that during tasks requiring creativity, all people used both halves of the brain; but the right-brain activity in schizotypes was greatly increased.
In a subsequent study on schizotypes, researchers Daniel Nettle and Helen Clegg concluded that "enhanced creativity may attract members of the opposite sex, leading to greater mating success." So next time you bring a date home, be sure to leave those concept drawings scattered all over your desk.
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