EVAL OF BIOLOGICAL EXP

Question 1

what are 4 evaluation points for biological explanation for schizophrenia?

Answer 1

+ multiple sources of evidence for genetic susceptibility
+ role of mutation in development of schizo
- mixed evid for dopamine hypothesis
- correlation-causation problem

Question 2

one strength of biological exp is that….

Answer 2

there are multiple sources of evid for genetic susceptibility

Question 3

who found evid for genetic susceptibility?

Answer 3

Gottesman

Question 4

what did Gottesman find?

Answer 4

how genetic similarity and shared risk of schizo are closely related

Question 5

__________ _______ also show children of…

Answer 5

adoption studies also show that children of schizo sufferers are still at risk even if adopted into fam with no history of schizo

Question 6

what other evidence is there for genetic susceptibility?

Answer 6

molecular studies show particular genetic variation significantly risk of sz

Question 7

there is overwhelming evidence about…

Answer 7

some genetic factors make ppl more vulnerable to developing sz showing that number of factors in env associated with sz

Question 8

multiple evid for genetic susceptibility increases…

Answer 8

credibility of bio exp

Question 9

another strength of biological exp of sz is..

Answer 9

the role of mutation

Question 10

it is found that sz can take place even in…. an exp for this is…

Answer 10

absence of fam history for disorder, one exp for this is mutation in parental DNA

Question 11

how can mutation in parental DNA happen?

Answer 11

in paternal sperm cells caused by radiation, poison or viral infection

Question 12

what is evidence for the role of mutation?

Answer 12

positive correlation between paternal age and risk of sz
0.7% fathers under 25
2% fathers over 50
suggests bio cause for sz

Question 13

the role of mutation increases _______ of bio exp but can be counteracted as…

Answer 13

reliability of bio exp as findings can be seen through research, but can be counteracted because correlation doesn’t mean causation and there could be a third factor influencing

Question 14

one weakness of the biological exp for sz is that….

Answer 14

there is mixed evidence for the dopamine hypothesis

Question 15

what supports dopamine hypothesis?

Answer 15

dopamine agonists e.g. amphetamines inc dopamine levels make sz worse or produce sz like symptoms in non-sufferers

Question 16

radioactive labelling studies show…

Answer 16

chems needed to produce dopamine taken up faster by sz brains than non-sz showing they produce more dopamine

Question 17

however, other research has been found for schizophrenia such as…

Answer 17

other NT such as glutamate are important in sz

Question 18

the mixed evidence for dopamine hypo…

Answer 18

decreases the credibility of the exp because it doesn’t reach a clear conclusion

Question 19

a final weakness of biological exp is…

Answer 19

the correlation-causation problem

Question 20

what can be questioned in bio exp of sz?

Answer 20

neural correlates in positive and negative symptoms and whether unusual activity in a region causes the symptom

Question 21

what is another explanation for correlation between levels of activity in the ventral striatum and negative symptoms?

Answer 21

1. something may be wrong in striatum causing symptoms

2. negative symptoms may mean less info passes through striatum meaning reduced activity

Question 22

correlation-causation problem reduces the…

Answer 22

internal validity of the bio exp and correlates because we do not know why reduced/increased activity exists