SZ AO3

Question 1

Reliabilty and Validity of classification and diagnosis AO3

Answer 1

P- co- morbidity
E- define what it is
E- Buckley et Al conc that 50% w SZ also have diagnosis of depression, 23% w SZ diagnosed w OCD. Issue cause doc may not diagnose SZ correctly , indi not receive proper treatment
L- weakens reliabilty and val of class and diag as neg effects its accuracy and consistency

P- gender bias
E- since 80s men more diagnosed w SZ, may be cause they are more gen vul that women. However could be cause females w SZ typically function better than men, being more likely to work, form good fam relationships, sym masked by good interpersonal skills (Cotton et AL)
L- questions reliabilty and validity of class and diag of SZ as women who share sim symptoms as men may not receive same diagnosis as symptoms seem mild

+culture bias, symptom overlap

Question 2

Genetic theory

Answer 2

P- RS to support the role of genetics in develop of SZ by Tierney
E- Studied 155 adopted children who had bio mothers w SZ found had conc rate of 10%, 1% adopted w no SZ parents
E- supports role of gen as SLT- observing and imiating SZ parents not possible cause adopted.
L- therefore increasing the validity of gen as bio explanation

Question 3

Neural correlates- brain struc/function

Answer 3

P- Suddath et Al
E- used MRI to investigate brain struc of MZ twins in which one has SZ. SZ twin had more enlarged ven.
E- suggests that enlarged ven played role in determining likelihood of develop
L- increasing the val of neural correlates as a bio exp

Question 4

Overall A03for bio exp

Answer 4

Limitations:
*Alt exp- fam dysfunction
E- SZ due to faulty comm patterns in fa m like schizophrenogenic mother- mother is cold and creates fam climate of tension and secrecy.
E- leads to distrust- later develops into paranoid delusions rhather than being due to genes/neurotrasmitters etc
L- bio exp not only exp that shoukd be considered.

*bio determinism
LOA- could be seen as strength cause cause and effect established lesding to treatments created

Strengths;
P- practical app
E- principles of theory that SZ is caused by imbalance of DA lead to drug therapies such as atypical and typ antipsychotics- effective by balancing DA levels in brain, reducing symptoms of SZ.
L- important part of applied psych, that increases credibilty

P- scientific methods
E- theory based on objective and empirical tech such as gene mapping and brain scans- FMRI used to identify specific genes areas linked to SZ
L- increases internal val, increasing psychs scientifc status