The Cognitive Explanation of Schizophrenia (Clinical Psychology) Flashcards
What research evidence challenges the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
Sitskoom et al, Beck et al
How does the Cognitive Theory of Schizophrenia incorporate Biological references?
- Raised dopamine levels cause symptoms like hallucinations and delusions.
- When the patient tries to process and understand the symptoms, other symptoms also occur.
- When the patient has to make sense of their experience, they may ask others if they also saw what they saw/heard.
- When they can’t confirm it, the patient may believe they’re keeping information from them - persecutory delusions.
- Therefore, when trying to make sense of the symptoms initially experienced, they create further symptoms.
What is Meta-Representation?
Ability to represent mental representations.
A faulty meta-representation would disrupt ability to recognise one’s own actions and thoughts as being carried out by themselves, rather than someone else - would lead to delusions and hallucinations, as the patient would be unable to distinguish speech heard externally from a thought generated in their own mind (makes them wonder if they said it or if someone else did).
How does Cocoran’s study support the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
Found that patients with sz have deficits in the theory of mind – the ability to read and interpret others intentions.
This supports how they may think people are out to get them when they deny experiencing their experiences.
How does McGuigan’s study support the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
Found that immediately before episodes of auditory hallucinations, some schizophrenic patients showed high levels of activity in the vocal centres of the brain - supports Frith’s theory of self awareness.
How does Sitskoom’s study challenge the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
Found that cognitive deficit were found in the relatives of patients, and they did not have sz - suggests genes are involved
What is Social Drift Theory?
Schizophrenia is more prevalent in lower social classes in society. Symptoms of schizophrenia make it difficult to hold down jobs, achieve well in education + maintain relationships, and so they drop down to lower socio-economic classes. Consequently there are more schizophrenic patients in deprived areas then affluent areas. Also urban areas have better access to support services then in rural areas
How does Gold and Harvey’s study support the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
Reported that people with sz often score lower on tests of attention, memory and problem-solving than similar people without the disorder
What does the Diathesis-Stress Model argue about schizophrenia?
Those with a biological predisposition to developing sz also have some kind of environmental trigger. e.g. relationship/job problems, trauma, abuse and neglect.
They say that the genetic explanation shows how the individual may be predisposed to developing schizophrenia.
What research evidence supports the Cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
McGuigan, Corcoran, Gold + Harvey
What did Firth (1979) say about schizophrenia?
Suggested that sz results from the patients increased self-awareness, where they can’t filter out typically unnecessary information (cognitive noise).
We don’t consciously process all thoughts/decisions/perceptions, as this would become exhausting and isn’t necessary.
Frith argued that sz patients are unable to ignore these processes, so experience an increased level of cognitive awareness they can’t make sense of.
- e.g. we would normally just check a watch; but schizophrenic people may experience this thought as a voice telling them to check their watch, as they might be late
How does Beck’s study challenge the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?
They summarised that reduced levels of dopamine causes the brain to struggle more in processing information - leads to cognitive insufficiency (difficulty in processing info), setting the person on the pathway to developing psychosis.
This suggests there is a pre-existing biological risk factor, which then affects the persons cognitive abilities. A significant stressor in the individual’s life will lead to continuing decline in cognitive processing, eventually resulting in schizophrenia
