Psychological Explanations For Schizophrenia*

Question 1

What is the term used to describe a parent that is believed to cause schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Schizophrenogenic mother

Schizophrenogenic means SZ causing.

Question 2

What characteristics define a schizophrenogenic mother?

Answer 2

• Cold
• Rejecting
• Controlling
• Creates a tense and secretive atmosphere

Question 3

How does a schizophrenogenic mother contribute to the development of paranoid delusions?

Answer 3

Leads to distrust that later develops into paranoid delusions

Question 4

What theory did Bateson et al propose regarding family climate and schizophrenia?

Answer 4

Double-Bind Theory

Question 5

In the Double-Bind Theory, what do children fear?

Answer 5

Doing the wrong thing

Question 6

What are the consequences of receiving mixed messages in a family according to the Double-Bind Theory?

Answer 6

• Unable to comment on unfairness
• Unable to seek clarification
• Punished with withdrawal of love

Question 7

What feelings might a child develop in a double-bind situation?

Answer 7

Feelings that the world is dangerous and confusing

Question 8

What does Expressed Emotion (EE) refer to?

Answer 8

Level of emotion expressed toward a SZ patient by their caregivers

Question 9

What elements are included in Expressed Emotion (EE)?

Answer 9

• Verbal criticism
• Hostility
• Anger
• Rejection
• Emotional over-involvement

Question 10

What is a primary explanation for relapse in schizophrenia sufferers?

Answer 10

Expressed Emotion (EE)

Question 11

What cognitive processes are disrupted in schizophrenia according to cognitive explanations?

Answer 11

Normal thought processing

Question 12

Which brain regions are associated with negative symptoms in schizophrenia?

Answer 12

Ventral striatum

Question 13

Which brain regions are associated with hallucinations in schizophrenia?

Answer 13

Temporal and cingulate gyri

Question 14

What is Meta representation in the context of cognitive dysfunction?

Answer 14

Cognitive ability to reflect on own thoughts/behaviour

Question 15

What is disrupted due to Meta representation dysfunction?

Answer 15

Ability to recognize own actions/thoughts from other people’s

Question 16

What symptom can be explained by Meta representation dysfunction?

Answer 16

Thought insertion

Question 17

What is Central Control Dysfunction in schizophrenia?

Answer 17

Issues with the ability to suppress automatic responses while performing deliberate actions

Question 18

What can result from Central Control Dysfunction?

Answer 18

• Speech poverty
• Thought disorder

Question 19

What percentage of women with schizophrenia have a history of physical/sexual abuse according to Read et al?

Answer 19

69%

Question 20

What percentage of men with schizophrenia have a history of physical/sexual abuse according to Read et al?

Answer 20

59%

Question 21

What does the lack of systemic evidence for psychological explanations suggest?

Answer 21

Poor evidence base for traditional family-based theories

Question 22

What can be a socially sensitive implication of suggesting that childhood trauma causes schizophrenia?

Answer 22

Parent blaming

Question 23

What did Stirling et al’s study reveal about cognitive processing in people with schizophrenia?

Answer 23

Those with SZ took twice as long to name font colors in the Stroop test

Question 24

What do proximal explanations focus on in schizophrenia?

Answer 24

What is happening NOW to produce symptoms

Question 25

What do distal explanations focus on regarding schizophrenia?

Answer 25

What initially caused the condition

Question 26

What limitations do cognitive theories have in explaining schizophrenia?

Answer 26

Only provide a partial explanation