Psychological Explanations: Expressed Emotion

Question 1

What were the 3 factors identified by research which were good predictors of relapse?

Answer 1

Brown 1972: all involve expression of emotions towards the person with schizophrenia: hostility, criticism, over-concern

Question 2

How can EE be measured?

Answer 2

Interview or observation

Camberwell Family Interview is main measurement

Question 3

What is hostility in relation to schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Negative attitude directed toward patient because family feel that disorder is controllable and patient is choosing not to get better. Family problems blamed on patient, the cause is the disorder (whether it is or not)

Question 4

What is criticism/critical comments in relation to schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Relative feels patient is wholly/partly responsible for their disorder

Question 5

What is over concern/emotional involvement in relation to schizophrenia?

Answer 5

family member blames themselves for the disorder, shows lots of concern, pity relative shows causes stress causing patient relapse

Question 6

What is measured in the Camberwell Family Interview?

Answer 6

interview taped and transcript rated, 2 info types: objective about events in home in months before onset and subjective info about how relatives feel towards patient

Question 7

What are the difficulties with the measurement of EE?

Answer 7

families lie in interview so cant be blames for relapse: social desirability = lead to false negatives, not easily operationalised, observer bias (cherry pick info to suit theory = false positive)

Question 8

What are the difficulties with the measurement of EE?

Answer 8

families lie in interview so cant be blames for relapse: social desirability = lead to false negatives, not easily operationalised, observer bias (cherry pick info to suit theory = false positive)

Question 9

What are the types of research that are conducted for EE as a theory of schizophrenia?

Answer 9

survey studies of the EE-relapse relationship, treatment studies, prospective studies of the possible causal relationship between EE and relapse

Question 10

What are the results of the Vaugh and Leff 1976 study?

Answer 10

Relapse 51% with high EE and 13% with low EE, EE in family is strong predictor

Question 11

Who conducted a meta analysis into EE and psychiatric relapse?

Answer 11

Butzlaff 1998: 27 studies, all but 3 showed a significant association between, high and low EE rates 65% and 35%, so EE is predictor of relapse

Question 12

Who provides more supporting evidence for the relationship between EE and schizophrenia?

Answer 12

Bebbington and Kuipers 1994: 25 studies, high EE = 50% low EE = 21% relapse,

Question 13

What are the results of the Vaughn and Leff 1976 study?

Answer 13

Relapse 51% with high EE and 13% with low EE, EE in family is strong predictor

Question 14

Who provides more supporting evidence for the relationship between EE and schizophrenia?

Answer 14

Bebbington and Kuipers 1994: 25 studies, high EE = 50% low EE = 21% relapse, in majority: high EE predictive of relapse in symptoms 9 months later, >face to face contact in high EE homes risky but protective in low EE homes

Question 15

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Butzlaff and Bebbington and Kuipers’ research?

Answer 15

meta analyses but retrospective and correlational (cant prove causality)

Question 16

What is the relevance of EE therapy studies in understanding the relationship between EE and schizophrenia?

Answer 16

Levels of EE can be manipulated by training, if low EE = less relapse there can be a real life impact for schizophrenia in real world

Question 17

What are the problems with the initial therapy trials? How would these problems affect results?

Answer 17

Lack of true random allocation to conditions and blind procedures. False positives: allocating patients who are less likely to relapse to the therapy condition to prove EE theory, observers can favour theory = false positive

Question 18

Who conducted a prospective study into EE as a cause or effect in mothers of schizophrenic young adults?

Answer 18

King 2000: 28 patients, mothers interviewed 3 times at 9 month intervals, maternal critical comments and emotional involvement tend to be influenced by patient’s total symptom severity

Question 19

Who conducted a prospective study into EE as a cause or effect in mothers of schizophrenic young adults?

Answer 19

King 2000: 28 patients, mothers interviewed 3 times at 9 month intervals, maternal critical comments and emotional involvement tend to be influenced by patient’s total symptom severity, EE more effect than cause