Table 2.
Basic Properties of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations
| Property (MUPS question #, n) | Response option | % endorsed |
|---|---|---|
| Number of voices heard (Q9a, 196) | 1 | 18 |
| 2 | 12 | |
| 3 | 12 | |
| 4 | 11 | |
| 5+ | 19 | |
| Uncountable | 28 | |
| Frequency of heard voices/sounds (Q4b, 199) | Constantly with you | 48 |
| Often (11–20 times/week) | 26 | |
| Occasionally (once a day) | 16 | |
| Rarely (0–5 times/week) | 10 | |
| Voices had a pattern/or a rhythm (Q7a, 196) | Yes | 47 |
| No | 45 | |
| Location voice first heard in (Q8, 120) | Inside head (internal) | 47 |
| Outside head (external) | 38 | |
| Both | 15 | |
| Location of voice during most recent episode (Q8, 197) | Inside head (internal) | 34 |
| Outside head (external) | 28 | |
| Both | 38 | |
| Specific location of voices/sounds of those with only internal AHs (Q8a, 57) | Inside all over | 46 |
| Inside middle | 23 | |
| Specific location of voices/sounds of those with only external AHs (Q8b, 58) | Outside all around | 38 |
| Outside left | 29 | |
| Outside right | 22 | |
| Average loudness of predominant voice/sound (Q11a, 199) | Whisper or soft | 31 |
| Normal | 35 | |
| Loud | 25 | |
| Yelling/screaming | 4 | |
| Tone of predominant voice (Q12A, 197) | Angry | 52 |
| Authoritative | 58 | |
| Malicious/nasty | 52 | |
| Bossy | 45 | |
| Loving | 40 | |
| Gentle | 37 | |
| Kind | 39 | |
| Friendly | 40 | |
| Tone changed over time? (Q12B, 193) | Yes | 31 |
| No | 69 | |
| Did the words spoken by the voice(s) make sense (ie, not gibberish)? (Q13c, 195) | Yes | 77 |
| No | 21 | |
| Clarity of voice/sounds (Q13a, 199) | Very sharp/unusually clear | 24 |
| Clear | 46 | |
| Varies | 23 |
Note: Where total does not equal 100% this is due to “unsure” or “other” responses.