Double blind

• Gregory benson 


  Symptoms seen in individuals with schizophrenia were the result of communication difficulties within the family, especially between parents and children
• Conflicting messages 


  Schizophrenia may develop when a child is repeatedly exposed to social interactions which there are two conflicting messages and the child does not the opportunity to ignore them or adequately respond to them.
• Example of conflicting messages 


  If a father states “I’d love to hear what you did at school today“ while focussing on the tv and nor really listening to what the daughter has to say. Two conflicting messages
• Conflicting messages explained 


  The verbal component offered by father suggests interest in his daughter, however the nonverbal communication suggests something different. that the daughter is of less importance than whatever is on the tv
• The communication contradictions incapacitate the child's ability to respond effectively, as verbal and nonverbal messages cancel each other out. due to the child being reliant on the parent l, they are unable to meta communicate, I.e they cannot comment on the fact that contradictory messages have been used.
• Bateson explained that this is only a risk factor of schizophrenia
• Long term exposure to these types of communication contradictions Means that the child learn to perceive the world in terms of contradictory from their environment and that they are unable to discriminate between the contradicting messages as they have internalised double blind situations
• Bateson believed that this lead to symptoms of schizophrenia, like hallucinations and delegations, as a means of escaping contradictory messages.