interactionist approach

Question 1

what does the interactionist approach consist of

Answer 1

psychological and biological explanations interacting with each other to cause Sz

Question 2

what model does the interactionist approach to Sz use

Answer 2

diathesis-stress

Question 3

what is the original diathesis model (Meehl)

Answer 3

• diathesis was entirely genetic - a ‘schizogene’
• if someone doesn’t have the gene, no amount of stress would make them develop Sz
• in carriers, stressors include a stressful childhood and a schizophrenogenic mother could result in Sz development

Question 4

how can Meehl’s original ideas be flawed

Answer 4

• Sz is polygenic, with up to 108 candidate genes
• therefore the original diathesis is too simplistic, no ‘schizogene’

Question 5

what is the modern understanding of diathesis

Answer 5

nowadays understood that there are also other psychological factors, other than family interactions, appearing to make someone more likely to develop it

Question 6

what is the HPA system

Answer 6

the HPA system, with early severe trauma e.g. child abuse, can become overactive and make a person much more vulnerable to stress in later life

Question 7

what is the modern understanding of stress

Answer 7

a modern definition includes anything that risks triggering Sz, such as cannabis (up to 7x in certain doses)

Question 8

why does cannabis often lead to higher Sz development risks

Answer 8

cannabis increases dopamine, hyperdopaminergia, positive Sz symptoms, or the troughs will lead to hypodopaminergia

Question 9

what’re 2 strength evals for the interactionist approach

Answer 9

+ Tienari
+ survey on Sz patients

Question 10

how is Tienari’s adoption study a support for the interactionist approach of Sz

Answer 10

• studies 19,000 Finnish children; 145 were adoptees with at least 1 biological Sz parent adopted into a new family
• child-rearing style was assessed and compared to a control group
• found high levels of criticism/conflict in rearing style were implicated in Sz development but only in high-genetic-risk group, lower risk in low child risk but high genetic risk group
• shows a combination of genetic vulnerability and family stress can lead to greatly increased Sz risk

Question 11

how is Sz survey a support for the interactionist approach

Answer 11

• in a surgery on Sz patients: 543 reported childhood sexual abuse and 643 reported cannabis use before 16 years old

Question 12

what is a limitation of the interactionist approach

Answer 12

• ‘schizogene’ is oversimplified
• up to 108 candidate genes have now been found proving the original diathesis model to be a vast oversimplification/unable to fully explain the cause of Sz, weakening the basis