Gottesman and Shields

• For which unit in psychology are twin studies in general useful?

  Biological Approach in Unit 1
• For which unit are twin studies useful in discussing the biological explanation of mental disorders?

  Clinical Psychology (Unit 2)
• Besides the Gottesman & Shields study, what other twin study can you always write about?

  Brendgen et al. (2005)
• In what year did Gottesman & Shields conduct their twin study?

  1966
• What did the twin study by Gottesman & Shields (1966) aim to investigate?

  The genetic cause of schizophrenia
• What are you required to be able to do with a twin study?

  • Describe
  • Apply
  • Evaluate
• Who conducted the Biological Contemporary Study?

  Brendgen et al. (2005)
• In what decade did Irving Gottesman and James Shields carry out their twin study?

  1960s
• What key finding did Gottesman & Shields' research establish regarding schizophrenia?

  There is a genetic component
• What hypothesis did Gottesman & Shields test by comparing MZ and DZ twins?

  There is a genetic component to schizophrenia
• What type of experiment does the Gottesman & Shields study illustrate the use of?

  A natural experiment
• What reliability problems does the Gottesman & Shields study illustrate?

  Problems in twin studies from before DNA testing
• In which group do the symptoms of schizophrenia tend to appear in their teens?

  Males
• What percentage of the UK population is affected by schizophrenia?

  Up to 1%
• In which group do the symptoms of schizophrenia tend to appear in their 20s and 30s?

  Females
• What is the term for a mental illness involving a break from reality and a breakdown of personality?

  Psychosis
• What is the term for episodes where schizophrenia sufferers' behavior becomes very bizarre?

  Psychotic episodes
• What do psychologists now believe exists towards schizophrenia?

  A genetic predisposition
• What is required to activate a gene for schizophrenia?

  A trigger
• What are some common triggers for schizophrenia?

  • Drug abuse
  • Stress
  • Family tensions
• What was the aim of Gottesman & Shields' study?

  To find a genetic basis for schizophrenia
• What was the other aim of Gottesman & Shields' study?

  To replicate previous twin studies
• What rates did the researcher look for in MZ and DZ twins?

  Concordance rates
• What was the independent variable in Gottesman & Shields' study?

  Difference between DZ twins and MZ twins
• Why is zygocity considered a naturally-occurring variable?

  Because it is a natural experiment
• What was the dependent variable in Gottesman & Shields' study?

  Concordance rate
• What was the age range of the schizophrenic patients in the sample?

  19 to 64
• Where were all the patients at a large London hospital?

  Between 1948 and 1964
• How many of the original patients did the researchers have to reduce?

  6
• How was zygocity determined by the researchers?

  • Fingerprint testing
  • Blood testing
  • Physical resemblance
• How many MZ twin pairs were identified in the study?

  24
• How many DZ twin pairs were identified in the study?

  33
• How many occasions were there where a patient and their twin had both been to the hospital?

  5
• What tests were used to measure mental health in the twin?

  • Hospital notes
  • Questionnaires
  • Semi-structured interviews
• What was the purpose of the 30-minute tape recording of speech?

  To identify language problems
• What type of symptom were language problems considered?

  Negative symptom
• What type of testing was used to measure disorganised thinking?

  Psychometric testing
• What type of symptom is disorganised thinking considered?

  Positive symptom
• What is a modern method for checking zygocity?

  DNA testing
• What is a modern method for checking mental health?

  Brain imaging