NS = Not significant

Table 1 shows that when their age is considered, schizophrenic patients did not show any significant difference when compared to OCD patients.

Table 1a: Socio-demographic details of Schizophrenic patients and OCD patients

Perceptual Accuracy in Schizophrenia & OCD: 41

*p<0.05, **p<0.01,

Table 1a presents the socio-demographic characteristics of patients of schizophrenia and OCD. The variables examined include sex, education, marital status, occupation, religion, domicile, family type, and monthly family income. Both the groups did not show significant differences for sex, education, marital status, occupation, religion, domicile, and family type. However, a significant difference (p < 0.001 level) was found in monthly family income between the two groups.

Table 2: Showing the frequency, percentage and Chi square on Perceptual accuracy of both groups

Discussion:

Socio-demographic Profile

The two groups were matched for several socio-demographic variables, including sex, occupation, religion, domicile, and type of family with no significant differences. However, significant differences were found in some variables such as age (p < 0.001), education, marital status, and family type (p < 0.05). The mean age of schizophrenic patients was 29.75 years (SD = 9.96), whereas OCD patients had a higher mean age of 42.33 years (SD = 14.62). These findings are consistent with earlier epidemiological data indicating that schizophrenia typically manifests in the age of 15 to 54 years (Sadock & Sadock, 2007; Jablensky, 2009), while OCD tends to have a broader age of onset, often peaking between 20 to 50 years (Sadock & Sadock, 2007). The current data reflect this developmental divergence between the disorders.

Regarding educational background, a considerable portion of both groups had completed secondary or higher secondary education. However, OCD patients showed a relatively higher level of educational attainment. While 23.3% of OCD participants were undergraduates, only 6.7% of the schizophrenia group had completed graduate level. The findings may reflect the differential functional impairments caused by the two disorders, with schizophrenia often leading to earlier and more profound disruptions in educational and occupational functioning.

Occupational status varied across groups, with participants engaged in various professions including government service, farming, business, and household work. No significant differences were

42: Kumar et al.

observed between the groups in this domain. All participants in both groups identified as Hindu, which may be attributable to the regional demographic characteristics of the study's catchment area. A majority of the participants in both groups were from rural areas, aligning with findings by Martyns-Yellow (1992), who reported increased psychiatric burden and limited access to care in rural populations.

A significant difference was found between the groups concerning monthly family income. A higher proportion of schizophrenia patients (40%) reported monthly family incomes below rupees 10,000, while majority of OCD patients (36.7%) had their income in the range of rupees 11,000–20,000. Previous research has consistently documented an association between lower socioeconomic status and schizophrenia, positing explanations ranging from increased exposure to psychosocial stressors and perinatal complications to poor nutrition and healthcare access (Mishler & Scotch, 1963).

Rorschach Perceptual Accuracy Indices

The core objective of the study - examining perceptual accuracy through Rorschach variables - yielded informative results. The X+%, an index of perceptual accuracy and conventional reality testing, was found to be substantially below the normative average (>70%) in both groups, with particularly low values in the schizophrenia (mean = 16.7%). This finding suggests impaired form perception and supports the presence of significant perceptual distortions in schizophrenia, consistent with earlier findings (Exner, 1993; Hartmann et al., 2012). Although OCD patients also showed poor X+% scores, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant.

The X−%, which directly indicates perceptual distortion, was markedly higher among schizophrenia patients, with 46.7% showing elevated levels. In contrast, 90% of OCD patients did not exhibit any significant X−% responses. This disparity aligns with known cognitive-perceptual impairments in schizophrenia and highlights the more reality-bound cognition often preserved in OCD.

The F+%, a narrower measure of form quality, further corroborated these findings. It was absent in all OCD patients and present in 16.7% of schizophrenia patients, reinforcing the evidence of perceptual distortion and difficulty with conventional form interpretation, particularly among those with schizophrenia.

Analysis of Popular responses, which reflect adherence to social norms and conventional thinking, showed that all schizophrenia patients scored below average, indicating reduced social conformity and impaired cognitive organization. While 70% of OCD patients also fell below average on this metric, 30% achieved average levels, suggesting relatively better preservation of normative cognitive processes compared to the schizophrenia group.

The XA%, which encompasses form accuracy across all responses, showed that only 46.7% of schizophrenia patients had accurate responses, with a similar proportion lacking any XA% entirely. Among OCD patients, 80% demonstrated absent XA%, further highlighting perceptual distortions in both groups, more pronounced in schizophrenia.

The WDA%, which evaluates form accuracy in commonly used areas of the inkblot, was present in 60% of schizophrenia patients, suggesting some preserved perceptual accuracy in more salient or obvious features. However, among OCD patients, 60% lacked WDA% responses, while 33.3% showed its presence and 6.7% showed average scores.

Findings of other Indices

Movement Responses (M-): A higher frequency of negative movement responses (M-) was observed in schizophrenia patients, reflecting significant thought disturbance and perceptual inaccuracy. OCD patients had fewer negative movement responses, indicating less severe perceptual distortions and better reality testing compared to schizophrenia patients.

Perceptual Accuracy in Schizophrenia & OCD: 43

Special Scores (Wsum6): Higher Wsum6 scores were found in schizophrenia patients, representing severe cognitive slippage and bizarre thought patterns which was lower in OCD patients.

Whole Responses (W): Schizophrenia patients tended to have fewer whole responses, indicating fragmented thinking and difficulties in integrating parts into a coherent whole. Whereas, OCD patients generally had a higher number of whole responses, reflecting better perceptual integration and more structured thinking.

Uncommon Detail (Dd) Responses: There was an increased number of Dd responses in schizophrenia patients, indicating a focus on unusual or minor details, which is characteristic of their perceptual distortions. OCD patients also showed a tendency towards a higher number of Dd responses, but these were often associated with obsessive concern for details rather than perceptual distortions.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that while both schizophrenia and OCD patients exhibit certain overlaps in perceptual accuracy variables, the nature and underlying reasons for these patterns differ. Schizophrenia patients display more severe perceptual and cognitive distortions, as evidenced by higher poor form quality, negative movement responses, and special scores. In contrast, OCD patients, while showing some perceptual anomalies, generally maintain better reality testing and perceptual integration, with their responses often influenced by obsessive concerns and intellectualization rather than psychotic processes.

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