Psych expl. - family dysfunction evaluation

Question 1

Simply evaluate family dysfunction explanations

Answer 1

✓ Evidence for the importance of family relationships - Read et al - meta-analysis of child abuse
✗Limited evidence for double-bind - the evidence is contradictory
✗Most of the evidence for family dysfunction was gathered using self report methods
✗ Ethical issues with family explanations - blaming the family
✗FD is reductionist

Question 2

Explain ‘✓ Evidence for the importance of family relationships - Read et al - meta-analysis of child abuse’

Answer 2

There is evidence to suggest that difficult family relationshis in childhood are associated with increased risk of schizophrenia in adulthood
Read et al (2005) reviewed 46 child abuse studies and schizophrenia and concluded that 69% of women in-patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia had a history of physical abuse, sexual abuse or both in their childhood and the figure for men was 59%
–This supports the link between family dysfunction and schizophrenia

Question 3

Explain ‘✗Limited evidence for double-bind - the evidence is contradictory’

Answer 3

Double-bind evidence is limited in that t is contradictory
Berger (1965) fund that schizophrenics reported a higher recall of double-bind statements from their mothers than non-schizophrenics
HOWEVER -Liem (1974) found no difference in patterns of communication in families with a schizophrenic child and those wouthout
—This means we need to question the validity of research into double bind

Question 4

Explain ‘✗Most of the evidence for family dysfunction was gathered using self report methods’

Answer 4

Information about childhood experiences in most studies of family dysfunction was gathered after the development of symptoms, and the schizophrenia may have distorted patients recall of childhood experiences
—This may impact the validity of the results

Question 5

Explain ‘✗ Ethical issues with family explanations - blaming the family’

Answer 5

By considering the role of faulty communication, this is basically placing the blame on family members
This could possibly give them trauma of receiving the blame

Question 6

Explain ‘✗FD is reductionist’

Answer 6

FD only deals with one aspect of the disorder (faulty communication) and in doing so ignored the compelling evidence for the role of biology in the onset of the disorder
This is a weakness as it fails to provide a complete explanation for schizophrenia and over emphasises the role of nurture at the expense of nature