schizophrenia - 1.3

Question 1

cognitive explanation for SZ

Answer 1

SZ symptoms are caused by dysfunctional mental processes

Question 2

types of dysfunctional mental processes

Answer 2

dysfunctional attention

dysfunctional reasoning

Question 3

dysfunctional attention

Answer 3

easily distracted and tend to focus attention on irrelevant details

Question 4

types of dysfunctional reasoning

Answer 4

jumping to conclusions bias

persecution bias

Question 5

dysfunctional reasoning

Answer 5

bias in the way they gather information, interpret events and develop beliefs

Question 6

jumping to conclusions bias

Answer 6

tendency to make hasty decisions based on insufficient evidence

Question 7

persecution bias

Answer 7

tendency to believe they are being singled our and unfairly treated

Question 8

how are delusions caused according to the cognitive explanation?

Answer 8

dysfunctional attention causes patients to overfocus on small, irrelevant details of events and coincidences

seem more important than they are
dysfunctional reasoning makes explanation irrational, causing delusional belief

Question 9

how are hallucinations caused according to the cognitive explanation?

Answer 9

dysfunctional attention causes people to overfocus on things they imagine

overfocus causes events to begin to feel real

struggle to tell difference between things they imagined and reality, causes hallucinations

Question 10

how are negative symptoms caused according to the cognitive explanation?

Answer 10

patients become overwhelmed by abnormal experiences e.g. delusions

want to avoid their abnormal experiences

isolate themselves from outside world

leads to negative symptoms

Question 11

cognitive explanation study support

Answer 11

comes from O’Carroll

reviewed studies on people with SZ and people who were at risk of developing SZ

75% patients displayed dysfunctional mental processes

people who went on to develop SZ already had dmp before they showed any symptoms

dmp may have caused symptoms

Question 12

cognitive explanation limitation (ignores biological factors)

Answer 12

e.g. role of genetics and antipsychotics

Gottesman and Sheilds found that the concordance rate in MZ twins was 74%, for DZ twins it was 24%

antipsychotics reduce dopamine activity

ignores biological factors

Question 13

3 family dysfunction explanations

Answer 13

schizophrenogenic mother

double-bind theory

expressed emotion

Question 14

family dysfunction explanation for SZ

Answer 14

family conflict leads to stress and confusion in individuals

this causes development of positive and negative symptoms

Question 15

schizophrenogenic mother explanation

Answer 15

idea that a toxic, negative and dysfunctional mother can contribute to development of SZ

Question 16

how does the father need to behave in the
schizophrenogenic mother explanation?

Answer 16

passive and ineffectual

not very involved

Question 17

traits of a schizophrenogenic mother

Answer 17

cold

rejecting

controlling

creates tense family atmosphere

Question 18

what type of explanation is schizophrenogenic mother?

Answer 18

psychodynamic

Question 19

why is schizophrenogenic mother psychodynamic?

Answer 19

it is based on a patient’s current internal conflict having its roots in aversive childhood experience

Question 20

what does schizophrenogenic mother’s behaviour lead to?

Answer 20

distrust, paranoia, delusions and development of SZ

Question 21

double-bind theory

Answer 21

a situation where no matter what a child does, they can’t win

they receive mixed messages and inconsistent standards are imposed on them

e.g. being told off one day for not doing something, then being told you’re wasting time another day for doing it

Question 22

what could a child caught in a double-bind develop?

Answer 22

paranoia and disorganised thoughts

Question 23

what may parents in a double-bind withdraw?

Answer 23

their love and approval as a punishment for perceived wrongs

Question 24

expressed emotion

Answer 24

how a family member communications their thoughts and feelings towards the schizophrenic person in their family

hostility towards the schizophrenic person e.g. anger

criticism of schizophrenic person e.g. open judgement

over involvement in life

Question 25

what might high expressed emotion lead to?

Answer 25

increased risk of relapse in recovery

Question 26

low expressed emotion

Answer 26

supporting atmosphere aids recovery and prevents relapse

Question 27

strengths of family dysfunction explanation

Answer 27

butzlaff and hooley’s meta analysis, expressed emotion increases relapse

tienari et al - those adopted into healthier families were less likely to develop SZ

berger - people of SZ more likely to recall double-binds from childhood compared to control group (unreliable self-report)

vaughn and leff - families more likely to relapse after leaving hospital if expressed emotion was present

Question 28

family dysfunction explanation limitations

Answer 28

altorger et al. individual differences in response to expressed emotion

1/4 people with SZ had no stress response to high expressed emotion

therefore, it is just a risk factor and not full explanation