psychological explanation

• what do cognitive explanations focus on?

  focuses on dysfunctional thought processes and cognitive distortions
• what is the key principle of cognitive explanation?

  dysfunctional thought processing
• main assumption of cognitive explanations of schizophrenia

  schizophrenia arises due to impairments in the way the brain processes information
• what are the 2 main components affect by dysfunctional thought processing?

  1. metarepresentation
  2. central control
• who proposed dysfunctional thought processing?

  Frith in 1992
• define metarepresentation

  ability to reflect on thoughts, intentions and mental state of others
• outline struggles of impaired metarepresentation

  • recognise own thoughts as self-generated = delusions
  • understand intentions of others = paranoia
  • distinguish between reality and hallucinations
• define central control

  ability to suppress automatic responses
• outline impact of central control dysfunction

  difficulty inhibiting inappropriate thoughts
• what symptoms does central control dysfunction lead to?

  • disorganised speech
  • thought disorder
  • inability to filter sensory information = hallucinations
• weakness of cognitive explanation - incomplete


  • doesn't explain origins of schizophrenia
  • brain imaging shows importance of dopamine dysregulation and abnormal neural activity
  • consequence rather than cause
• strength of cognitive explanation - evidence

  • Stirling et al used Stroop test
  • participants had to name the ink colour of a word whilst ignoring actual word
  • showed impaired central control as schizophrenia patients took longer
• strength of cognitive explanation - relevance

  • practical application to CBTp
  • involves challenging irrational beliefs particularly delusions and hallucinations
  • supports involvement of faulty thought processing
• what does family dysfunction refer to?

  negative family environments and dysfunctional communication contribute to development of schizophrenia
• what are the 3 principles to family dysfunction explanation of schizophrenia?

  1. schizophrenogenic mother
  2. double-blind theory
  3. expressed emotion
• who proposed the idea of schizophrenogenic mother?

  fromm-reichmann in 1948
• outline key features of the schizophrenogenic mother

  • cold & rejecting - lack of warmth or affection
  • controlling & overprotective - dominate child's life
  • rejecting - leads to confusion

  creates paranoia which triggers delusions and disorganised thinking
• who proposed the double-blind theory?

  bateson et al in 1956
• outline key features of the double-blind theory

  • child is given conflicting verbal and non-verbal cues
  • child can't respond appropriately
  • damages ability to trust own perspectives

  leads to paranoia, delusions and disorganised thinking
• who proposed the idea of expressed emotion?

  Brown in 1959
• outline key components of expressed emotion

  • critical comments - harsh or negative remarks about behaviour
  • hostility - rejection and aggression towards individual
  • emotional over-involvement - excessive worry, control and interference in patient's life
• what's the contribution to schizophrenia by expressed emotion?

  • high expressed emotion creates stress which can trigger a relapse
  • supports diathesis-stress model
• strength of family dysfunction - support

  • Read et al found 69% of female and 59% of male schizophrenia patients experienced child abuse
  • adverse family environments may trigger schizophrenia
  • supports link between childhood and disorder
• define schizophrenogenic

  schizophrenia causing
• weakness of family dysfunction - lacks comprehension

  • consequence rather than cause
  • high expressed emotion may be a reaction to difficulties of living with someone who has schizophrenia
  • difficult to establish causal relationship
• weakness of family dysfunction - blame

  • schizophrenogenic mother can lead to guilt and stigma
  • discourages families from seeking support due to fear of blame
  • socially sensitive and ethical concerns
• what's the main assumption of the schizophrenogenic mother?

  schizophrenia is caused by cold, rejecting and controlling mother who creates toxic family environment