interactionist approach

• What is the diathesis-stress model?

  An interactionist approach to explaining behavior.
• How does the diathesis-stress model explain schizophrenia?

  As a result of both an underlying vulnerability (diathesis) and a trigger (stress).
• What was the original understanding of diathesis?

  The result of a single 'schizogene
• According to Meehl, what is the role of the 'schizogene' in schizophrenia?


  If you do not have the schizogene, then no amount of stress would lead to schizophrenia
• What is the modern understanding of diathesis?

  108 separate genetic variations associated with schizophrenia.
• How is the modern understanding of diathesis different from the original model?

  It is no longer monogenic, but polygenic.
• What else can be a diathesis according to modern thinking?

  Trauma and vulnerability
• What did Read et al. (2001) find about early trauma and vulnerability?

  It can affect the brain to make it more sensitive to stressors.
• What was the original understanding of stress?

  The presence of a schizophrenogenic mother
• What factors can contribute to stress in the modern diathesis-stress model?

  Cannabis
• How does cannabis contribute to the development of schizophrenia?

  It interferes with the dopamine system
• How much does cannabis increase the risk of developing schizophrenia by?

  7 times
• What does the interactionist approach to schizophrenia acknowledge?

  Both biological and psychological factors.
• What kind of treatments would the interactionist approach advocate for?

  Both biological (drug therapy) and psychological (CBT) treatments.
• What is the goal of combining drug therapy and CBT in the interactionist approach?

  To address both biological and psychological aspects of schizophrenia.
• Who conducted evidence to support the dual role of vulnerability and stress in the development of schizophrenia?

  Tienari et al. (2004)
• What did Tienari et al. (2004) do?

  Investigated the combination of genetics & parenting style in an adoption study with Finnish children.
• What did Tienari et al. (2004) find?

  A child rearing style characterised by high levels of conflict and criticism was implicated in the development of schizophrenia but only for the children with high genetic risk.​
• What are real life applications for taking an interactionist approach to explaining & treating schizophrenia?

  Studies show an advantage to combining treatments for schizophrenia.
• Who conducted a study to show an advantage to combining treatments for schizophrenia?

  Tarrier et al. (2004)
• What did Tarrier et al. (2004) do?

  Randomly allocated patients to receive medication only or medication plus CBT.
• What did Tarrier et al. (2004) find?

  Those who received the two treatments showed lower levels of symptoms although there was no difference in rates of hospital admission.​
• How is the interactionist approach is a limited explanation of how schizophrenia is developed?

  There is evidence to suggest that genetics combined with stressors is a more powerful explanation than either on its own, but it is not known this is.
• Therefore, why is the interactionist approach limited?

  It can only partially explain how schizophrenia develops, it cannot fully explain it