Psychological explanations

Question 1

What are the 2 psychological explanations for schizophrenia?

Answer 1

1. Family dysfunction
2. Dysfunctional thought processing (cognitive)

Question 2

Outline Family dysfunction?

Answer 2

• explanations emphasise family-oriented theories of schizophrenia
• Shows importance of childhood upbringing/trauma for development of schiz in adulthood
• Stresses how maladaptive family relationships domestically/poor communication result in development of schiz in adulthood

Question 3

What do Freudian ideas suggest about family dysfunction?

Answer 3

• If child experiences trauma in childhood (poor communication) this will be repressed/denied
• Done by using defence mechanisms
• This creates unconscious conflicts which can manifest in adulthood
• The manifestation would take the form of schiz symptoms

Question 4

Outline the Schizophrenogenic mother?
Who came up with the theory?

Answer 4

• Mother is cold, domineering, rigid, insensitive, conservative
• Moralistic about sex, fearful of intimacy, provocative
• Characteristics are subjected on the child
• Establishes faulty communication between her & the child
• Creates excessive stress triggering psychotic thinking as child tries to navigate the toxic domestic environment
• Leads to development of schiz in adulthood
• Reichmann (1948)

Question 5

Outline Double-Bind hypothesis?

find out who the psychologist was

Answer 5

• Term Double-Bind is used to describe contradictory/confusing situations a child would find themselves in
• Leads to disorganised thinking in adulthood
• Contradiction causes a ‘communication dilemma’ between messaging
• Child will find themselves trapped in conversations feeling they are in the wrong but receive mixed messages & are unable to seek clarification
• If they get it wrong they are punished with the withdrawal of love
• Leads to schiz in adulthood

Question 6

Outline High Expressed Emotion (H.E.E.)?
Who was involved in the theory?

Answer 6

• H.E.E. (negative emotion) expressed towards the patient by carers
• Family communication style which involves criticism, hostility & emotional over-involvement
• This maintains schiz not causes it
• Brown (1958) found schiz patients returning to low EE households had less chance of relapse than those returning to HEE households
• HEE causes stress causing relapse

Question 7

Outline family schism?
Outline family skew?

Answer 7

• Fathers can be as disturbed & pathological than mother & both from rivalling factions
• Often one parent uses child to complete his/her life
• There is one parent, often mother, who dominates household, whilst the other is submissive