Paychological Explanations: Family Dysfunction Flashcards
What is a rational response to an irrational situation?
Schizophrenia
How can families expressed emotions lead to Sz?
Through over-concern, protective behaviors, and a low tolerance for intense stimuli.
What are signs of exaggerated involvement in family dynamics?
Self-sacrifice and criticism/control of family members.
How does hostility manifest in family relationships?
Through a negative attitude towards others, often affecting the parent-child relationship.
What did studies show about children with biological parents?
Children with biological parents showed higher likelihood of developing psychological issues.
What percentage of children with biological mothers developed vulnerabilities?
36.8%.
What is the role of family dysfunction in psychological issues?
Family dysfunction can influence individual vulnerabilities and stress responses.
What did Hooley’s meta-analysis find regarding relapse rates?
Relapse into psychological issues is often linked to familial relationships.
What communication issues exist within families of individuals with psychological disorders?
Poor communication can exacerbate mental health issues.
What is the significance of individual differences in vulnerability?
Not all individuals respond physiologically to stressful comments from relatives.
What does Bateson’s theory suggest about children receiving mixed signals from parents?
They are more likely to develop psychological disorders.
What is an example of mixed signals from parents?
Being told to be independent while being overly protected.
What are dysfunctional thinking patterns associated with psychological disorders?
Schemas that create false perceptions of reality, such as delusions and hallucinations.
What contributes to psychotic thinking?
A cold, rejecting, and controlling parental environment.
Fill in the blank: Dysfunctional thinking can lead to _______.
[delusions and hallucinations].
Family dysfunction explanation
Sz caused by abnormal patterns of communication within the family
Double Bind Theory (Bateson)
This is where children are given mixed messages by their parents e.g. praise and criticism simultaneously. These mixed signals lead to sz because people develop a full sense of reality (delusions of reference), triggered by their parents mixed messages, leading to dysfunctional thinking. May lead to the development of positive symptoms e.g. auditory hallucinations.
Expressed Emotion
Suggests that those living in highly emotional environment environments are more likely to develop sz. This relates to how a mother expresses their emotions towards you (schizophrenic mother) e.g. over concern/protectiveness, which gives a person a low tolerance for stimuli. This means they are less able to deal with stress and criticism leading to them developing negative symptoms of sz e.g. social withdrawal.
AO3 Limitation
P- It ignores individual differences in vulnerability to express emotion.
E- Altorfer found that 1/4 of the patient studied showed no physiological response to stressful comments from relatives.
E- This indicates that no or individuals to experience dysfunctional family interactions experience sz e.g. Highly stressful environments.
Therefore, an alternative theory to consider is the biological explanation which suggests that genes are more likely to lead to schizophrenia. This is more significant because evidence from family studies of shame that certain genes can lead to sz.
