Schizophrenia

Question 1

Schizophrenia

Answer 1

A mental disorder that affects thought processes and the ability to determine reality.

Question 2

Positive Symptoms

Answer 2

Displaying behaviours involving losing touch with reality.

Question 3

Negative Symptoms

Answer 3

Displaying behaviours that involve disruption of normal emotions and actions.

Question 4

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia

Answer 4

To be diagnosed with schizophrenia there must be two or more symptoms present. It commonly occurs in people between the ages of 15 and 45.

Question 5

Hallucinations

Answer 5

The perception of something being real that doesn’t actually exist.

Question 6

Delusions

Answer 6

A false belief that is resistant to confrontation with the truth.

Question 7

Diagnosis

Answer 7

Identification of the nature and cause of illness.

Question 8

DSM-5

Answer 8

A diagnostic classification system produced in the USA

Question 9

ICD-10

Answer 9

A diagnostic classification system produced by the World Health Organisation.

Question 10

Co-Morbidity

Answer 10

The presence of one or more additional disorders that occur simultaneously with schizophrenia. This could suggest that schizophrenia is not a separate disorder.

Question 11

Culture Bias

Answer 11

The tendency to over-diagnose members of other cultures and claiming them to be suffering from schizophrenia.

Question 12

Gender Bias

Answer 12

The tendency for diagnostic criteria to be applied differently to males and females so there are differences in the classification of the disorder.

Question 13

Symptom Overlap

Answer 13

The perception that symptoms of schizophrenia are symptoms of other mental disorders.

Question 14

Biological Explanations

Answer 14

These focus on the possible effects that genetics, dopamine and neural correlates have on schizophrenia.

Question 15

Genetic Explanation

Answer 15

Transmission of abnormality by hereditary means.

Question 16

Dopamine Hypothesis

Answer 16

The development of schizophrenia is related to abnormal levels of the hormone and neurotransmitter dopamine.

Question 17

Neural Correlates

Answer 17

The idea that the development of schizophrenia is related to structural and functional brain abnormalities. fMRI helps to provide a comparison of the brains of schizophrenics and non-sufferers.

Question 18

Psychological Explanations for Schizophrenia

Answer 18

These include family dysfunction, cognitive explanations and dysfunctional thought processing.

Question 19

Family Dysfunction

Answer 19

The idea that dysfunctional family relationships are related to the development of schizophrenia. Stress and contradictory situations can influence schizophrenia.

Question 20

Cognitive Explanations

Answer 20

The idea that the development of schizophrenia is due to maladaptive thought processes which involve a complex interaction of different factors. They may experience positive or negative symptoms.

Question 21

Dysfunctional Thought Processing

Answer 21

The idea that the development of schizophrenia is related to abnormal ways of thinking. Some schizophrenics may believe that there ability to use metacognition are the voices of others in their heads

Question 22

Diathesis-Stress Model

Answer 22

The idea that individuals have varying genetic potentials combined with environmental factors. The idea was proposed by interactionists

Question 23

problems with using the DSM
Reliability

Answer 23

inter-rater reliability- when two different people get the same result using the same test, this is measured using the kappa score
a score of 1 means there is a lot of agreement
0 means no agreement

Question 24

Copeland (1970)

Answer 24

69% of US Psychiatrists diagnosed pt with SZ
2% of UK psychiatrists diagnosed pt with SZ

Question 25

Beck (1961)

Answer 25

Diagnosis agreement rate by 2 psychiatrists in 153 pts was 54% This implies low inter-rater reliability

Question 26

Farmer et al (1988)

Answer 26

Use of Present State Examination (PSE) increases reliability of diagnosis

Question 27

Buckley (2009)

Answer 27

Comorbid conditions of SZ (50% with depression and 47% with substance abuse). Validity is therefore questionable in diagnosing sz.

Question 28

Konstantareas & Hewitt (2001)

Answer 28

Comparison of 14 male autistic patients with 14 male sz sufferers showed 50% of autistic pts showed symptoms of sz. This shows symptom overlap.

Question 29

Hearing voices in western culture = SZ but in Costa Rican culture it is spirits talking. Suggests there is cultural bias in the diagnosis of SZ

Answer 29

Malgady (1987)

Question 30

Women recover more and relapse less than males from SZ. Beta bias could result in worse treatment for males.

Answer 30

Cotton (2009)

Question 31

Much of early research into SZ was conducted with men only, meaning findings may be inapplicable to women.

Answer 31

Nasser et al (2002)

Question 32

56% diagnosis of SZ in males compared to 20% diagnosis in females despite the same symptom list. 290 Psychologists diagnose pts.

Answer 32

Loring and Powell (1988)

Question 33

40% concordance rate in MZ twins compared to 7% in DZ twins

Answer 33

Joseph (2004)

Question 34

100% genetic similarity = 48% chance of SZ 50% genetic similarity = 13 % chance 25% genetic similarity = 5% chance

Answer 34

Gottesmann & Shields (1991)

Question 35

SZ behaviours could be induced in rats by giving amphetamines to raise dopamine levels. Abnormalities reversed by giving anti psychotic meds

Answer 35

Randrup& Munkvad

Question 36

Nurturing influences could instigate structural chances in brain as child and adolescents are more sensitive to chronic stressors

Answer 36

McEwen (2007)