S - Psychological explanation for Schizophrenia

Question 1

Double-bind theory

Answer 1

• Where child receives mixed messages from parental figure
• For example a parent’s verbal declaration of ‘I love you’ paired with nonverbal signals of rejection like disgusted facial expression
• This causes confusion as the child feels unable to do things correctly, this leads to disorganised thinking and paranoia

Question 2

What are the 3 psychological explanations for schizophrenia?

Answer 2

• The schizophrenogenic mother
• Double-bind theory
• Expressed emotion

Question 3

What are the 2 cognitive explanations for schizophrenia?

Answer 3

• Central control
• Metarepresentation

Question 4

The schizophrenogenic mother

Answer 4

• Cold, rejecting and controlling
• Causes an environment of stress and secrecy which triggers psychotic thinking

Question 5

Expressed emotion

Answer 5

• High level of expressed emotion (negative) is a serious source of stress causing a relapse in schizophrenia

Question 6

Central control and schizophrenia

Answer 6

This is the cognitive ability to supress automatic responses. Disorganised speech could be the result of the inability to do so suggesting people with schizophrenia have a lack of central control.

Question 7

Metarepresentation and schizophrenia

Answer 7

People with schizophrenia have a dysfunction of metarepresentation, this means they confuse their thoughts and actions of that of somebody else. This would explain the experience of having thoughts projected into the mind by others such as delusions and hallucinations.

Question 8

Negative evaluation of the psychological explanation of schizophrenia

Answer 8

• It is socially sensitive to suggest that the family causes schizophrenia, as this is likely to cause additional stress and anxiety
• There is evidence to suggest a biological cause for schizophrenia contradicting the idea that there is a purely psychological explanation
• They could equally be a result of having to deal with someone with schizophrenia so it’s difficult to establish cause and effect

Question 9

Negative evaluation of the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia

Answer 9

It establishes the what and not the why

Question 10

Evidence supporting the central control

Answer 10

People with schizophrenia tend to struggle with the stroop task. This is where you are required to name the colour the word is written in. This suggests a difficulty in supressing automatic responses.