Psychological Explanations For Schizophrenia Flashcards
What are 2 psychological explanations for schizophrenia
- Family dysfunction
- Cognitive explanation
What is family dysfunction
Abnormal processes within a family which act as risk factors for the development and maintenance of schizophrenia
What are three risk factors within the family which could trigger schizophrenia
- Double bind theory- poor communication
- The schizophrenogenic mother- cold parenting
- Expressed emotion- high levels of expressed, negative emotion
What traits does a schizophrenogenic mother have and how can this lead to schizophrenia
Cold, rejecting and controlling= climate of tensions and secrecy which leads to distrust which could then lead to paranoid delusions
What is the double bind theory
Children are given conflicting messages from parents eg. Mother telling son she loves him and turning away in disgust= confusion in child
How can the double-bind theory lead to schizophrenia
Mixed messages prevent development of internally coherent construction of reality= manifestation of schizophrenic symptoms (psychosis)
What is expressed emotion
Family communication style- high levels of negative emotions are expressed leading to hostile climate
What does expressed emotion lead to
Higher relapse rates
What is the cognitive explanation for schizophrenia
Proposes that abnormalities in a person’s thought processes (dysfunctional thought processing) are a key component of schizophrenia
What is dysfunctional thought processing
Cognitive habits or beliefs that cause the individual to evaluate information inappropriately
What are two kinds of dysfunctional thought processing and which symptoms do they cause
- Dysfunction in meta-representation= hallucinations and delusions
- Dysfunction in central control= disorganised speech
What is central control
The cognitive ability to suppress automatic responses whilst we perform deliberate actions
How does dysfunction in our central control lead to schizophrenic symptoms
Inability to suppress automatic thoughts and speech triggered by other thoughts- causes disorganised speech and thought disorder
What is meta representation
Cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts and behaviour and allow us insight into our own intentions and interpret actions of others
How does dysfunction in our meta representation lead to schizophrenic symptoms
Disrupts our ability to recognise our own actions and thoughts as being carried our by ourselves rather than someone else= hallucinations and delusions
What evidence shows the role of family dysfunction in the development of schizophrenia
Read et al (2005)- 69% of women in-patients with schizophrenia had a history of physical and or sexual abuse
What evidence shows the role of dysfunctional thought processes in the development of schizophrenia
Stirling et al (2006)- compared schizophrenic patients with non-patients on a range of cognitive tasks. Stroop test- patients took twice as long to name the ink colour
