Interactionist approach to explaining, treating schiz

• What does the diathesis-stress model explain?

  It explains the interaction between vulnerability and negative experiences.
• What does 'diathesis' refer to in the diathesis-stress model?

  Vulnerability
• What does 'stress' refer to in the diathesis-stress model?

  Negative experience
• What was Meehl's model's view on diathesis?

  Diathesis was entirely genetic, resulting from a single gene.
• What is the term used for the gene associated with schizophrenia in Meehl's model?

  Schizogene
• What personality type did Porthy suggest was sensitive to stress?

  A personality type that is sensitive to stress.
• What type of stress did Porthy identify as significant during childhood/adolescence?

  Chronic stress
• What is an example of a stressful factor mentioned in the study material?

  Presence of a schizophrenogenic mother
• What is the modern understanding of diathesis and stress in relation to schizophrenia?


  • Diathesis is polygenic; many genes increase vulnerability.
  • Psychological trauma can also contribute to diathesis.
  • Stress can include various triggers, such as cannabis.
• What are the combined treatments for schizophrenia mentioned in the study material?

  • Biological therapies (e.g., antipsychotic drugs)
  • Psychological therapies (e.g., CBT)
• What was the key study conducted by Tienari et al. in 2004 focused on?

  The impact of genetic vulnerability and a psychological trigger.
• How many Finnish children were investigated in Tienari et al.'s study?

  19,000
• What were the results of Tienari et al.'s study regarding criticism and empathy?

  High criticism and low empathy were associated with SZ in the high genetic risk group.
• What was the procedure in Tarrier et al.'s 2004 study?

  315 participants were randomly allocated to different treatment groups.
• What were the treatment groups in Tarrier et al.'s study?

  (1) Medication + CBT, (2) Medication + counselling, (3) Control group.
• What were the results of Tarrier et al.'s study regarding symptoms?

  Combination groups showed lower symptoms than the medication-only group.
• What are the complexities of the diathesis-stress model?

  • Diathesis and stress are complex interactions.
  • The portrayal of diathesis and stress is overly simplistic.
  • Diathesis is influenced by psychological factors.
  • Stress can be influenced by biological and psychological factors.
• What is the treatment causation fallacy as described in the evaluation?

  Assuming successful treatment justifies a particular explanation is a logical error.
• What example is given to illustrate the treatment causation fallacy?

  Alcohol reduces shyness; therefore, shyness is caused by a lack of alcohol.
• How does urbanization relate to stress and schizophrenia?

  • Urban living is more stressful than rural living.
  • City living acts as a trigger for schizophrenia.
  • Higher diagnosis rates in cities may relate to diathesis.