Schizophrenia - psychological explanations

• What does the family dysfunction explanation suggest about schizophrenia (Sz)?

  It may develop from an unhealthy family environment
• What do the theories under the family dysfunction explanation focus on?

  How household communication contributes to schizophrenia
• Who developed the double bind theory?

  Bateson et al (1956)
• What can double bind messages lead to in individuals?

  Confusion and loss of grip on reality
• What are double bind messages?

  Mixed messages causing 'no win' situations
• What is the concept of the schizophrenogenic mother?

  A cold, rejecting, and domineering mother
• How does a passive father contribute to schizophrenia?

  It creates stress in a tense environment
• What did Brown et al (1966) suggest about expressed emotion?

  Negative emotion can be a risk factor for schizophrenia
• What types of emotions are particularly risky in households?

  High levels of criticism and hostility
• What did Brown et al (1966) find in their follow-up study?

  58% relapsed in high EE homes
• What is a limitation of the family dysfunction explanation?

  Cause and effect cannot be clearly determined
• What is meta representation in cognitive explanations?

  Recognizing one's own intentions separate from others
• What alternative explanation is suggested regarding the relationship between schizophrenia and family environment?

  Schizophrenia might cause negative family dynamics
• How does dysfunction in meta representation affect individuals with schizophrenia?

  It leads to hallucinations and delusions
• What is central control in cognitive explanations?

  The ability to suppress automatic responses
• What happens when there is a dysfunction in central control?

  Individuals cannot suppress automatic thoughts
• What did Sterling et al (2006) study regarding cognitive processes in schizophrenia?

  Schizophrenic patients took longer on the Stroop task
• What does the Stroop effect measure?

  The ability to ignore conflicting information
• What is a limitation of cognitive explanations for schizophrenia?

  They cannot explain the cause of schizophrenia
• What new line of research is being explored in relation to cognitive explanations?

  Linking genetics to cognitive vulnerability
• What are the strengths and limitations of the cognitive explanation for schizophrenia?

  Strengths:

  • Supported by research (Sterling et al, 2006)
  • Explains some positive symptoms

  
  

  Limitations:

  • Cannot explain the cause of schizophrenia
  • Only partially explains the disorder
• What are the key theories under the family dysfunction explanation for schizophrenia?

  • Double bind theory (Bateson et al, 1956)
  • Schizophrenogenic mother (Fromm-Reichman, 1948)
  • Expressed emotion (Brown et al, 1966)