Lesson 12 - Interactionist approach & diathesis stress model

Question 1

interactionist approach defined

Answer 1

a broad explanation of Skiz. Focuses on biological and psychological factors that could cause skiz

Question 2

biological causes of skiz

Answer 2

1. genetics
2. neural correlates - abnormalities, trauma , injury
3. dopamine hypothesis

Question 3

psychological causes of skiz

Answer 3

1. family dysfunctiom
2. cognitive

Question 4

diathesis stress model defined

Answer 4

skiz caused by biological and enviro factors
-> diathesis refers to vulnerability of getting the illness
-> genes alone can’t cause skiz, a stressor is needed to trigger the illness

Question 5

research support of interactionist approach

Answer 5

• MURRAY flu (stress) causes defects in the brain (diathesis) which can lead to brain damage and problems in dopamine functioning (diathesis)

Question 6

strengths of diathesis stress model

Answer 6

+Walker found evidence that stress could be a factor that causes skiz. cortisol levels were v high before skiz onset
+it’s been revised in the recent years and it accepts the polygenic idea
+skiz can be due to birth trauma(born feet first or umbilical cord around neck)these babies are more likely to develop skiz

Question 7

weaknesses of diathesis stress model

Answer 7

w- research evidence shows that genes alone can’t cause skiz bcs the concordance rates for twins are not 100%
w- genes might increase the vulnerability risk of skiz but an enviro factor needs to trigger it

Question 8

interactionist approach AO1

Answer 8

combines biological and psychological treatments
it compares the treatments and sees which combination of treatments are most suitable for each skiz P

Question 9

results from hogarty study

Answer 9

a combination of treatments are the most effective at treating skiz, and an interactionist approach is favoured

Question 9

Hogarty research

Answer 9

• studied 103 Ps w high EE families
• a variety of treatments were offered and relapse rates in the first year were measured
  19% relapse -> family therapy+drugs
  20% -> social support+drugs
  41% -> drugs alone
  0%-> family therapy+drugs+social support

Question 10

strength of interactionist approach

Answer 10

+support comes from combining behavioural and cog therapies together. cog aims to change thinking and behavioural helps teach social skills
+ if skiz has bio and psych causes, treat it with the methods that counters the cause

Question 11

weaknesses of interactionist approach

Answer 11

w- difficult for psychologists to decide which treatment is the most effective as they are all used together and at the same time
w- can be costly to combine all therapies but at the end its worth it