Biological Explanations

Question 1

What is the key assumption?

Answer 1

Biological basis

Question 2

What are the 3 studies associated with the genetic explanation?

Answer 2

Family studies
Twin studies
Adoption studies

Question 3

What is the family study research?

Answer 3

1% of general pop has schizophrenia with no blood relation

GOTTESMAN (1991) meta analysis of 40 studies into family history and schizophrenia
found you are at greater risk of getting schizophrenia the closer relation you have to someone with it

Question 4

What is the adoption studies research?

Answer 4

TIENARI (2000) 6.7% of adopted children with schizophrenic mothers have been diagnosed with schizophrenia (predisposition)
2% of adopted children without a schizophrenic mother have been diagnosed - meaning is there other factors?

Question 5

What is the twin studies research?

Answer 5

GOTTESMAN (1991) meta analysis of 40 studies
MZ twins- 48% probability
DZ twins- 17% probability
significant difference

Question 6

What are the strengths of the genetic explanation?

Answer 6

• scientific credibility
evidence
concordance rates

• research support

Question 7

What are the weaknesses of the genetic explanation?

Answer 7

• small samples - twins and schizophrenia are both rare

• not 100% concordance rates
if it relied on genetics it would be 100%
environmental factors?

Question 8

What is the key assumption for the neural explanation?

Answer 8

Physical origin

Question 9

What is the dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 9

excess of dopamine in certain areas of the brain are associated with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
due to high levels of D2 receptors on the receiving neuron
resulting in more dopamine binding and more neurons firing

Question 10

What is the revised dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 10

DAVIS AND KHAN positive symptoms are due to an excess of dopamine in the brain
negative symptoms are from a deficit of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex

Question 11

How can anti psychotic drugs help schizophrenic symptoms?

Answer 11

they block the activity of dopamine in the brain
reducing activity in neural pathways eliminates the symptoms it causes
decrease dopaminergic activity

Question 12

What are the strengths of the neural explanation?

Answer 12

• scientific credibility
offers empirical evidence
PATEL used PET scans found schizophrenics have higher levels of dopamine compared to the control group

• RWA - treating schizophrenia - they wouldn’t prescribe the drugs if they didn’t work which rules out the placebo effect
success in treatments

Question 13

What are the weaknesses of the neural explanation?

Answer 13

• deterministic - not all schizophrenics have high levels of dopamine
suggesting that there are other factors e.g, environmental (diathesis stress model)