Psychological Explanations

Question 1

From-Reichmann (1948)

Answer 1

Provided a psychodynamic explanation based on accounts from patients childhoods.

Many spoke about a schizophrenogenic mother - cold, rejecting and controlling. Tends to great family climate characterised by tension and secrecy.

Leads to distrust that can develop into paranoid delusions.

Question 2

Bateson et al. (1972)

Answer 2

Family climate is important in the development of schizophrenia, emphasised communication style within the family.

Question 3

Expressed emotion

Answer 3

The level of emotion, in particular negative, expressed towards a patient by a carer.
Contains several elements:
- verbal criticism of the patient
- hostility towards them including anger and rejection
- emotional over-involvement in the life of patient

Question 4

Metarepresentation

Answer 4

The cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts and behaviour, allows insight into own intentions and goals and to interpret the actions of others.
Dysfunction would disrupt ability to recognise own actions and thoughts as being carried out by ourselves.

Question 5

Central control

Answer 5

Ability to suppress automatic responses while we perform deliberate actions. E.g. This could result in disorganised speech.

Question 6

Frith et al. (1992)

Answer 6

There are two kinds of dysfunctional thought processing: metarepresentation and central control.

Question 7

Read et al. (2005):

Answer 7

Reviewed 46 studies of child abuse and schizophrenia:

• 69% of adult in-patients had history of physical or sexual abuse in childhood
• 59% of adult in-patient men