Bio expl - genetic evaluation Flashcards
Evaluate the genetic explanation for schizophrenia (no expl.)
✓ Strong evidence from a variety of sources for a genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia
✗Doesn’t provide a complete explanation to schizophrenia - schizophrenia isn’t entirely genetic
✗Problem using twin studies - MZ twins encounter more similar environments
✗Problems with adoption studies - seeing parents/adopted late
Explain ‘✓ Strong evidence from a variety of sources for a genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia’
Evidence from twin/family studies - clearly shows how increased genetic similarity leads to an increased risk of schizophrenia
Adoption studies - show that children of schizophrenic parents are at a heightened risk of schizophrenia even when adopted into families with no history of schizophrenia
Explain ‘✗Doesn’t provide a complete explanation to schizophrenia - schizophrenia isn’t entirely genetic’
Evidence does not suggest that schizophrenia is entirely of genetic origin, but that environmental factors have some influence - if genetics were purely the cause then the concordance rate between MZ twins would be 100% (48% shows the environment at least has some effect)
Explain ‘✗Problem using twin studies - MZ twins encounter more similar environments’
It is assumed that the environment for both MZ and DZ twins is the same -however it is widely accepted that MZ twins encounter more similar environments and experience more identity confusion
This could mean that the concordance rates between MZ and DZ twins reflect the environmental differences
Explain ‘✗Problems with adoption studies - seeing parents/adopted late’
Adoptees often keep in contact with their biological parents or were adopted late (over 10)
This means the parents will have/have already had a significant impact on the child’s development (meaning environmental factors will have already played a part) and it is difficult to distinguish between environmental and genetic influences
