psychological explanations Flashcards
what are the 3 parts of the family dysfunction as a psychological explanation for schizophrenia ?
- schizophrenogenic mother
- double bind theory
- expressed emotion
what does family dysfunction suggest ?
- suggests that it is the maladaptive relationships and patterns of communication within families that result in schizophrenia symptoms
what does the psychodynamic theory of the schizophrenogenic mother suggest ?
- suggests that people with schizophrenia get their paranoid delusions as a result of influence of a cold, rejecting and controlling mother and a passive father
what kind of environment does the schizophrenogenic mother create ?
- an environment of stress, tension and secrecy in the family
what does the stressful environment that the Schizophrenogenic mother creates trigger ?
- the atmosphere triggers psychotic thinking
what kind of explanation is the schizophrenogenic mother ?
- a psychodynamic explanation
- childhood experience leads to how we behave as adults
AO3 for schizophrenogenic mother ?
- outdated explanation which leads to parent blaming
- not all children who experience this parenting style go on to develop schizophrenia
- evidence is based on clinical observation of patients which foes not have scientific rigour and so has a biased interpretation of the evidence
who suggested the double bind theory ?
- Bateson
what does the double bind theory suggest ?
- suggests the child gets mixed messages and feels unable to do the correct thing
- e.g the child is told to be more independent but is overprotected and receives criticism when they attempt to be independent
What does Bateson suggest about the family climate ?
- he suggests that the family climate is important in the development of schizophrenia along with the communication style used in the family
what does Bateson suggest that the double bind theory leads to ?
- paranoia
- disorganised thinking
Evidence AO3 double bind theory
+ support
Berger
- found that schizophrenics reported a higher recall of double bind statements by their mothers than non-schizophrenics.
Evidence AO3 double bind theory
- Berger counter point
- evidence may not be reliable
- retrospective memories are asked to be recalled
- this may be affected by their illness
Evidence AO3 double bind theory
- Limitation
Liem
- measured patterns of parental communication in families with a schizophrenogenic child and found no difference compared with normal families
what is meant by expressed emotion?
- the level of emotion
- in particular a negative emotion expressed towards a patient by their carers
what are the 3 elements of expressed emotion ?
- exaggerated involvement
- hostility
- criticism + control
EE - what does exaggerated involvement involve ?
- indicating the sufferer is a burden via self sacrifice
‘ i do so much for you, its hard for me too’
EE - what is meant by criticism + control ?
- verbal criticism of the sufferers behaviour
- ’ you don’t know how to do anything, you need to listen to me more and do as you are told’
EE - what is meant by hostility ?
- physical, verbal or emotion suggesting rejection
- ’ you are a total waste of space’
what is EE primarily an explanation for ?
- explanation for relapse in patients with schizophrenia
what happens to the relapse rate in schizophrenics when they have experienced expressed emotion ?
- relapse rate is doubled
AO3 limitation of expresseed emotion ?
what did Altorfer find ?
individual differences appear to play a role in how people respond to EE
- Altorfer found that 1/4 patients that he studied showed no physiological response to stressful comments from relatives
AO3 dysfunctional families
- STRENGTH
- supporting evidence by Tienari
- studied biological children of schizophrenic mothers who had been adopted
- found that 5.8% of those adopted into psycholgically healthy families developed schizophrenia
- compared to 36.8% of children raised in dysfunctional families
what does Tienari’s evidence suggest ?
- suggests that the interpersonal family environment has a significant impact on the development of schizophrenia in genetically vulnerable people
