Evaluate social psych exps of scz (10)

• Para 1: Dysfunctional families

  • P: One social psychological explanation of schizophrenia is the role of dysfunctional family communication, particularly double bind theory.
  • E: This suggests that repeated contradictory messages from parents - such as showing love while expressing disapproval - can create confusion, contributing to the development of schizophrenic thinking patterns. Supporting evidence comes from studies like Bateson et al., who proposed the theory, and Vaughn & Leff (1976), who found high relapse rates in patients returning to families high in expressed emotion (EE).
  • E: However, this explanation is limited. Liem (1974) argued that communication differences observed in families may be an effect rather than a cause of schizophrenia, as parents may adapt their communication after the onset of symptoms. Koopmans (1997) also noted that double bind interactions may arise during family stress, and there's little empirical...
• Para 1: Dysfunctional families

  • E: ... to show they reliably cause schizophrenia.
  • L: This weakens the causal claims of the theory and suggests that communication breakdowns could be a response to, rather than a trigger of, the disorder.
• Para 2: sociocultural factors

  • P: another explanation focuses on urbanicity and social isolation.

  • E: higher rates of schizophrenia are found in urban areas, which may expose individuals to chronic stress, social fragmentation, and reduced social capital. For example, Pedersen and Mortensen (2001) found that moving to rural areas reduced schizophrenia risk in high-risk individuals, implying urban stress contributes to onset

  • E: however, critics argue this may reflect the social drift hypothesis, where people with emerging symptoms move to poorer urban areas due to declining functioning, making urban living an effect rather than a cause. Similarly, van Os et Al. (2000) linked social isolation with increased risk of schizophrenia, but it remains unclear if isolation causes psychosis or signals its early development. Moreover, Boydell et Al. (2001) highlighted how ethnic minority groups may face discrimination, contributing to…
• Para 2: sociocultural factors (2)

  • E: … elevated diagnosis rates - raising concerns that social adversity rather than biological vulnerability may drive symptom development.

  • L: this blurs causation and complicates the role of social context in schizophrenia onset
• Conclusion

  In conclusion, while social psychological explanations such as dysfunctional families and sociocultural stressors provide valuable insights into environmental triggers, the cause-effect direction remains unclear. These theories likely contribute to schizophrenia in combination with genetic vulnerability, as highlighted by the diathesis-stress model, rather than acting as sole explanations