Heston 1966 (adoption study)

Question 1

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

Aim

Answer 1

To find how many adopted children of which their biological mothers who has schizophrenia went on to develop schizophrenia themselves

If a significant number of adopted children did have schizophrenia it would be evidence suggesting that schizophrenia is caused by genetics

Question 2

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

-generalisability (ethno oregon state psychriatric hospital + small % of pop)

Answer 2

The study consisted of 47 adults in the experiment group (had schizophrenia) and 50 adults in the control group

This sample was ethnocentric as they were all born in Oregon state psychiatric hospital between 1915 and 1945 and therefore the sample is ethnocentric and can’t be applied to other cultures

also adopted children with schizophrenic mothers is very specific and a very small percentage of the population which means it is harder to generalies to the whole population is there represent a significantly small section of it

These factors mean that the result would 10% of the experiment group got schizophrenia and therefore schizophrenia is genetic
can’t be generalised to the whole population

Question 3

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

+ inter-rate reliability (2 psychiatrics + 1 researcher)

Answer 3

This is due to the information from the interviews and the rest of the information compiled on each subject was invaluated blindly and independently by two psychiatrists with a final evaluation being made by a third researcher

Due to 3 researchers agreeing on the results the study has a high inter rate reliability

Question 4

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

unethical (sensitive interview questions + 5 hospitalised 3 criticaly ill)

Answer 4

This is due to the participants partaking in personal interviews so some questions may have caused psychological stress due to being over sensitive nature such as being adopted

It also must be noted that 5 of the experimental condition were hospitalized with schizophrenia and 3 of them were chronically ill
This demonstrates a lack of protection from harm from the researchers

This breaches the BPS ethical guidelines on the situation meaning that the study is unethical

Question 5

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

+ internal validity (control group apoption ≠ SZ)

Answer 5

Due to the inclusion of the control group this reduces the extraneous variable of the possibility that adoption causes the development of schizophrenia
this reduces confounding variables and therefore makes cause and effect more easily establishable and increases internal validity

Question 6

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

Conclusion and Aplication (isolate and treat gene)

Answer 6

In conclusion it was found at 10% of the experiment group developed schizophrenia
however none of the control group developed schizophrenia
which will means that there was no evidence of the role of environmental factors in the developments of schizophrenia
and therefore means that schizophrenia is developed as a result of genes

Aplication: knowing that the only way to develop schizophrenia is due to genetic factors we can work on ways to isolate the schizophrenic Gene and attempt to treat it so schizophrenia can be eradicated

Question 7

Heston 1966 (adoption study)

Evaluation order

Answer 7

Aim (how many adopted children whose biological mothers have schizophrenia will go on to develop schizophrenia themselves)

• generalisability (low % pop, ethnocentric oregon state psychiatric hospital)
  +inter rate reliability ( 2 psychriatrics + 1 researcher agree on results)
• ethics ( personal questions 5 hospitalised 3 chronicaly ill)
  + internal validity ( refuce confounding variable with control group)
  conclusion (SZ=genes)
  Aplication (isolate and iradicate SZ gene)