Schizophrenia- Individual difference explanations Flashcards
What are the 2 individual differences explanations for SZ?
1- Psychodynamic approach
2- Cognitive approach
What is my FIRST choice for individual explanation of SZ?
Psychodynamic approach
How can the psychodynamic approach be split int paragraphs?
1- Fixation in the oral stage
2- Regression to the oral stage
3- Schizophrenogenic mother
1- Fixation in the oral stage
Fixation is where there is a focus on a particular stage of the psychosexual stages
- leads to fixation on the appropriate area of the body related to that stage
- occurs to due over or under gratification
Key points on the oral stage
0-18 months
- libido focused on the mouth
- breastfeeding, chewing toys etc
impact on adult personality
- pessimistic, gullible, envious, needy
- nail biting, kissing, smoking, chewing gum
Schizophrenics are fixated at this stage
2- Regression to the oral stage
Regression is a type of ego defence mechanism
- when individual comes int contact with stress, disturbing thoughts or impulses they may regress back to an earlier stage of development rather than deal with their issues in an adult way
- the anxiety provoking thoughts are temporarily pushed into the unconscious (suck thumb when stressed)
- regress back to that stage as an adult in a response to stress
What state does Freud argue SZ regress back to?
New born state
How would Freud describe the mind of an infant?
All ID no ego or superego
- self-centred, no ego to keep ID in check
- focus on their own gratification, no care for others
ADULT: narcissistic, impulsive
(no ego) unable to plan their actions
(no superego) unable to see if their behaviour is immoral
How can we link this to the symptoms of SZ?
SZ regress back to their new born state
- focus on self, disengage from reality, inward focusing
Detachment from reality combined with and active adult mind
- creation of alternative realities, not part of the world
- explains positive symptoms- hallucinations/delusions
No ego, self-obsessed, narcissistic, delusion of grandiosity
3- Schizophrenogenic mother
Fromm-Reichman
Caused by mothers who were overly dominant in the home, and towards the SZ child
What are the characteristics of a schizophrenogenic mother?
Over protective, fearful of intimacy, conflict inducing, cold and domineering, rigid and insensitive, moralistic about sex, rejecting
- whilst being controlling and overprotective, also cold and distant
- overprotection stifles child’s development, distance leaves child feeling emotionally insecure
- distrust that develops into paranoid delusions, eventually SZ
X no longer supported by ADA
Evaluation: Psychodynamic approach
- Research support for schizophrenogenic mother
Kasanin examined hospital case records and found that maternal overprotection was present in 33 out of 45 cases
X Q accuracy of case records, decreases validity
X widely accepted at the time, R bias, looking for characteristics of SZ mothers
X 1/3 of the cases did not show maternal overprotection, lacks validity and scientific support for the theory
Evaluation: Psychodynamic approach
X Freudian concepts outdated/social sensitivity
Blames the mother, unethical, causes harm, already a difficult situation, stress or guilt may trigger other MH disorders
X unfalsifiable, lack of testable hypothesis
X cannot prove concepts tripartite model of personality/ existence of unconscious mind wrong
X lack scientific rigour, not more than interesting historical theory
Evaluation: Psychodynamic approach
X Lack of effective treatment
SZ not suitable for psychoanalysis, lacked insight necessary
Rosen- could be treated with psychoanalysis techniques
X Strupp lead to deleterious and harmful rather than beneficial effects, requires P to experience memories and insights that they are emotionally incapable of dealing with- distressing
X If an ineffective therapy cannot be established from the theory, then the underlying principles of the explanation have no merit
- overlooks role of genetics
What is my SECOND choice for the individual explanation of SZ?
Cognitive approach
Intro to cognitive approach
Unable to offer one explanation that is able to account for all the behaviours experienced by an individual suffering from SZ, but it does offer different theories that explain some of the key positive and negative symptoms
What are the 3 sections of the cognitive approach?
1- Maladaptive thinking (auditory hallucinations)
2- Lack of pre-conscious filters (positive symptoms)
3- Beck’s cognitive triad
1- Maladaptive thinking (auditory hallucinations)
Morrison- triggers such as sleep deprivation can cause some individuals to ‘hear voices’ in maladaptive ways
- appraise these voices inappropriately as belonging to the devil
- the emotions these produce (sadness/shame) reinforce the messages being offered by the critical voices, causing them to be perpetuated in a vicious cycle
X self harm and withdrawal
2- Lack of pre-conscious filters (positive symptoms)
Frith- Attention deficit theory
SZ is the result of the breakdown of though filtering process
How does Frith’s attentional deficit theory explain the symptoms of SZ?
Issues with attention, not able to effectively filter out non-pertinent info
- inability to properly focus causes disordered thought
- can possibly account for hallucinations, delusions and disorganised speech
Bentall - Attentional bias
Attentional bias towards stimuli of a threatening and emotional nature e.g. violence, pain are more likely to perceive as threatening when it isn’t
Delusions of persecution
3- Beck’s cognitive triad
SELF- dysfunctional belief around performance and ability to experience pleasure ANHEDONIA
FUTURE- hold cynical and gloomy view of the future AVOLITON
WORLD- allow negative messages to be perceived which perpetuate negative views FLATNESS OF EFFECT, A, A
Evaluation: Cognitive approach
- Research support
Information is processed differently in the mind of those with SZ
- Comparison of 30 SZ patients and 18 non-SZ on a range of cognitive tasks including the Stroop Test found that SZ took over 2X as long to name the ink colours compared to control group
- Difficulties with the ST can be used as evidence of people with SZ having defective attentional filters (hard to switch attention between colour/letter of word)
- supports the lack of pre-conscious filter
- ST is well-established, controlled test underpinning theory with scientific methods
Evaluation: Cognitive approach
- Practical applications
Resulted in real life applications and treatments for patients
CBTp (for psychosis) effective therapy for some patients with SZ
- aim to identify and alter irrational thought processing, helping patients understand the nature of their symptoms
- supports idea of dysfunctional though processes may play some role in leading to the symptoms of the disorder
X most effective when combined with biological treatments (antipsychotics)
X nit complete explanation, must consider biological factors
Evaluation: Cognitive approach
X Reductionist
Reduces SZ to being a fault process in thinking patterns
Frith- causal explanation for the deficits associated with SZ
X the faulty operation of cognitive mechanisms is due to disconnection of the functions within the frontal cortex of the brain (DM n action) and more posterior areas of the brain (perceptions)
X detecting changes in cerebral blood flow in SZ when completing cognitive tasks
X reduces complex experience to the functioning of brain circuits
