Social Causation Hypothesis

Question 1

What psychological approach is social causation derived from?

Answer 1

The social approach

Question 2

What brought about the explanation?

Answer 2

Within lower social classes and black immigrant groups there is a 4/100 incidence rate which is higher than other social groups

Question 3

What has the fact that there is a higher incidence rate in lower classes and immigrant groups led psychologists to believe?

Answer 3

That low social class or poverty either causes schizophrenia or plays some part in the development

Question 4

What did Cooper (2005) suggest?

Answer 4

That the rate of schizophrenia in men of social class 5 (unskilled labourers) was 4.1 times as high as social class 1 (higher manegerial)

Question 5

What areas is schizophrenia more common in?

Answer 5

Urban areas than rural ones which suggests there is an environmental element

Question 6

What has been identified in urban areas that could contribute to schizophrenia?

Answer 6

There are clusters of people with schizophrenia in inner city areas, suggesting that being brought up in these areas causes sz to develop

Question 7

What did Hjem et al (2004) find?

Answer 7

That social adversity in childhood related to development of schizophrenia

Question 8

What is social adversity?

Answer 8

the link between social class and the disorder

Question 9

What does the hypothesis suggest overall?

Answer 9

That unemployment, poverty, adversity in adult life, social isolation, seperation from parents as a child, living in inner city areas, poor housing, over crowding and high levels of crime are the cause

Question 10

Why might there be a 4 times higher incidence rate in black immigrant groups?

Answer 10

Because their social situation may involve being disadvantaged as their education attainment is often low, their housing is often poor and they may experience discrimination

Question 11

Why can’t the higher incidence rate in immigrant groups be due to genetics?

Answer 11

Because the incidence rate in the carribbean is similar in the UK

Question 12

What supporting evidence did Kirkbride et al (2007) find?

Answer 12

That those who experienced less social support from family and friends were more likely to develop psychosis

Question 13

What supporting evidence did Dohrenwend et al (1992) find?

Answer 13

That there were higher rates of schizophrenia in lower class groups

Question 14

Why is it difficult to establish the cause and effect?

Answer 14

Because it is possible that people with sz become downwardly mobile due to the disorder and then achieve poor grades and get poor jobs and live in city areas

Question 15

How does Pedersen and Mortensen (2001) support?

Answer 15

They found that the longer children are exposed to urban living, the greater their probability of developing schizophrenia is

Question 16

What application does it have?

Answer 16

It enables proactive suggestions for improving later mental health of children in ethic minority communities e.g celebrating diversity

Question 17

Why might there be a diagnosis issue?

Answer 17

Those in middle classes may not want to be diagnosed so may not see clinicians, doctors may feel more inclined to diagnose those in lower classes

Question 18

What did Veling (2008) find?

Answer 18

There was a higher incidence rate where immigrant groups were outnumbered by other groups so it could be associated with discrimination and low ethinc density

Question 19

What did Goldberg and Morrison (1963) find?

Answer 19

That schizophrenic men often were of a lower social class than their fathers, suggesting that sz causes them to go downwardly mobile

Question 20

How does Castle (1993) support?

Answer 20

They found that most schizophrenic individuals were born into deprived areas and had not drifted into such areas following diagnosis