Schizophrenia Characteristics

Question 1

What does the phrase ‘positive symptoms’ describe?

Answer 1

In addition to normal behaviours

Question 2

What does the phrase ‘negative symptoms’ describe?

Answer 2

Inhibiting normal behaviours

Question 3

Name the 3 main positive characteristics:

Answer 3

Hallucinations
Delusions
Disordered thinking

Question 4

What are the 5 main negative characteristics?

Answer 4

Alogia
Avolition
Anhedonia
Flatness of affect
Catatonic behaviour

Question 5

What is formication?

Answer 5

A hallucination sensation resembling the feeling of insects on/under the skin

Question 6

Describe hallucinations:

Answer 6

Perceptions that are unreal that consist of auditory, visual and sensory.

Question 7

What did Kathryn Lewandowski (2009) estimate?

Answer 7

That 20% of schizophrenics have tactile hallucinations. (sensations)

Question 8

Describe delusions and the two types.

Answer 8

Beliefs that are unreal.
-Persecution: someone wants to harm individual.
-Grandiosity: Individual is special in some way.

Question 9

Describe disordered thinking:

Answer 9

Persons’s thoughts and speech seem to jump from topic to another for no apparent reason with no logical flow.

Question 10

What is insertion in disordered thinking?

Answer 10

An individual believes thoughts are not their own and have been put into their head by a third party

Question 11

What is alogia?

Answer 11

Poverty of speech: reduced speech which lacks meaning

Question 12

What is avolition?

Answer 12

Seeming indifferent/unconcerned with surroundings

Question 13

What is anhedonia?

Answer 13

Individual reacting inappropriately to pleasurable activities

Question 14

What is flatness of affect?

Answer 14

Individual appear to have no emotion

Question 15

What is catatonic behaviour?

Answer 15

Ranges from fast, repetitive, useless movements to little/none at all

Question 16

What is echopraxia in catatonic behaviour?

Answer 16

Mimicking movement of individuals around them.

Question 17

What is wavy flexibility in catatonic behaviour?

Answer 17

Remaining immobile for prolonged periods of time in seemingly uncomfortable positions

Question 18

What is the issue with diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia? (3)

Answer 18

-Different diagnostic criteria in UK & US.
-Mainly focuses on Western research
- Limits generalisability of findings and causes validity issues: in historic family studies.

Question 18

What is the issue with diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia? (3)

Answer 18

-Different diagnostic criteria in UK & US.
-Mainly focuses on Western research
- Limits generalisability of findings and causes validity issues: in historic family studies.

Question 19

Explain lack of insight as an issue of research in schizophrenia.

Answer 19

Most people with schizophrenia have difficulty accepting diagnosis. Some have inadequate language skills to express beliefs fully.

Question 20

Explain depression as an issues in terms of schizophrenia:

Answer 20

Many symptoms of schizophrenia are similar or overlap with those of depression so can be misdiagnosed and can be difficult to see which characteristics are from which illness.

Question 21

“Does ‘schizophrenia’ even exist?”

Answer 21

Some researchers believe that there is such disparity between the symptoms so shouldn’t diagnose them with as having the same disorder.