Individual Differences Explanations of Schizophrenia Flashcards
What is regression?
ego defence mechanism. May regress back to an earlier stage rather than deal with the issues in an adult way. The anxiety provoking thoughts are pushed into the unconscious
what is fixation?
may regress back. Oral stage, derive pleasure from sucking and feedings from mothers breast. The libido, focused on the mouth. Fed too much/too little, fixated. Freud argued this is where schizophrenics become fixated. Oral fixation = excessive amount of stress – regress back to early stage, becomes essentially like a new born.
What did freud argue regression involved?
he loss of all relationships. They become self-obsessed. They become disengaged and inward focusing. Adult minds lead to the creation of alternate realities. Oral stage = ego non-existent and so the ID is not challenged. Lead to self-obsessed, narcissistic ideas like delusions of grandeur or persecution.
What happens to the attachments to the real world?
The attachments to the real world are reinvested in the fabricated existence of the schizophrenic. Their attempt to recover a sort of normality. They have the need to interact with something external to oneself but combined with the distrust of all that is real leads to the creation of an alternative reality.
What is psychosis similar too?
McGlashan, psychosis is similar to a phantom limb ‘brain creates persons and relationships in mind to fill the blankness created by the brain’s diminished capacity to process daily relationships.
What supporting research is there for the psychodynamic approach?
Eysenck found that 44% of patients who had undergone psychoanalysis were classified in as ‘cured/much improved’ or ‘improved’.
This shows that even very unscientific therapies like psychoanalysis can be helpful to at least some patients. This suggests that there is some support for schizophrenia in some patients improved with psychoanalysis.
What methodological issues are there with the psychodynamic approach?
Freud based his theory on the memoir of a man called Daniel Schreber. He suffered from a variety of delusions like his doctor telepathically entered his mind and that god was turning him into a woman.
Freuds theory lacks empirical research and with a sample of just one mans own self reports, this theory can be said to be low in external validity.
Why is the psychodynamic approach only a partial explanation?
This theory overlooks the role of genetics. It focuses on early experiences which sides with nurture. Also, antipsychotics have been shown to be more effective.
This suggests that it’s a biological and not a psychodynamic explanation for schizophrenia.
Why is the psychodynamic approach unfalsifiable and unscientific?
According to Freud much of our behaviour stems from our unconscious mind (not aware of) which we cannot conclusively disprove its existence.
If we cannot demonstrate even the existence of basic psychodynamic concepts like the ID, ego and superego then how can we trust psychodynamic concepts to explain complex disorders like schizophrenia.
what is behaviour a product of? How can this explain mental illness?
internal mental processes including thinking. Mental illness is therefore explained by problems with these processes. Schizophrenia could be explained with problems at all stages of cognition. Symptoms through the problems that govern perception, language or attention etc…
What did Aaron beck do?
applied the triad to schizophrenia to help explain negative symptoms. Alogia is the result of negative cognitions.
What did rector, beck and stolar propose?
Rector, Beck and Stolar propose a diathesis stress model. It’s the idea that genes create a pre-disposition to developing behaviour but an environmental stressor triggers it. Result of a complex combination of biological and environmental factors certain people become susceptible to the development of negative symptoms.
What plays a role in negative symptoms?
initial onset?
Cognition and beliefs play a role in the persistence of negative symptoms. Neurobiological factors play a role in the initial onset.
What do Schziophrenics hold negative beliefs about?
What do Schizophrenics only allow in?
Schizophrenics hold negative beliefs about – their poor performance and limited ability to experience pleasure, the future and the world around them.
Schizophrenics only allow in negative messages and deficits supporting their pessimistic view – lead to negative symptoms.
What are negative symptoms a buffer from? what is it the result of responding?
What is the severity of symptoms related to?
What motivates them?
Negative symptoms are a buffer from reality. Result of responding to negative thoughts like perception of failure and threatening paranoid beliefs. Negative symptoms are a protective reaction to underlying negative cognitive biases.
related to strength of negative cognition about the triad.
Perception of limited psychological resources which motivates them to minimise investment in activities requiring effort
