Family dysfunction Flashcards
Whats is the double bind theory?
Bateson (1972)
he looked at types of communication that occurs within a family
children are given mixed messages by their family about what the right thing to do is
they’re punished for doing the wrong thing despite messages about this being unclear
these mixed messages are called ‘double bind messages’
this leads the children to doubt their own judgement ultimately leading to disorganised thinking and paranoid delusions
What is an example of the double bind theory?
a father might complain about his daughter never showing him affection but then pushes her away when she tries to as shes too old for affection
this makes the child confused about the world around them
What is expressed emotion?
the amount of emotion (particularly negative) expressed towards other members of the household
this can be a risk factor for Sz
high levels of EE in a home would create an unhealthy environment- the stress of which would be intolerable and could trigger an onset of Sz or a relapse in people with Sz
What are the three types of EE?
high levels of criticism: occasionally accompanied by violence
Hostility: including anger and rejection
Over-concern: parents spending too much time interfering in the affairs of other family members
Explain the Schizophrenogenic mother
Was researched by Fromm-Reichman
is a negative interaction with the mother
this causes an environment that is built on secrecy and tension
this combined with the passive father can lead to excessive stress, paranoid delusions, and psychotic symptoms
ultimately causing Sz
What is a strength for family dysfunction? (evidence support)
Read (2005) found that 65% of women and 59% of men had a history of abuse and were more likely to be insecurely attached
shows how high EE clearly triggers Sz
therefore supports the idea of a dysfunctional family
What are the characteristics of a schizophrenogenic mother
Cold
Rejecting
Domineering
Guilt producing
what is a limitation of the dysfunctional family? (limited evidence)
theres a lack of evidence for the other explanations
both SFGM and DBT are based on clinical observations of people
so theres not enough evidence to compose a theory for cause and effect
therefore it questions how valid the link is between childhood and schizophrenia is
