A01 psychological explanations of schizophrenia

Question 1

How are psychological explanations divided?

Answer 1

Psychological and sociocultural

Question 2

What are the psychological theories

Answer 2

Psychodynamic and cognitive

Question 3

What 2 processes did Freud believe schizo was a result of

Answer 3

Regression to a pre-ego stage

Attempts to reestablish ego control

Question 4

What were schizo symptoms seen as by Freud

Answer 4

Some symptoms reflect an infantile state in an indv (delusion of grandeur)
Some symptoms reflect attempts to reestablish ego control (hallucinations)

Question 5

What 3 points can you make from the cognitive approach of the psychological theories

Answer 5

It acknowledges biological factor for the Dev of schizo
States that further features of the disorder appear as indvs attempt to understand their experiences
For example when they tell others about their experiences they may reject feedback from others who claim their experiences are simply not real and then develop delusional beliefs that they are being manipulated and lied to by others

Question 6

What are the 3 sociocultural factors

Answer 6

Life events and schizophrenia
Family relationships
Labelling theory

Question 7

Who tested effects of life events on schizophrenia

Answer 7

Brown and Birley

Question 8

What did brown and Birley find

Answer 8

Prior to a schizo episode, patients who had previously experience schizo reported 2x as many stressful live events compared to a healthy control group

Question 9

Conclusion of life events and schizophrenia

Answer 9

Stressful life events increase risk of schizo episodes so could be an explanation of schizo

Question 10

What are the section if the family relationships

Answer 10

Double blind theory

Expressed emotion

Question 11

Who came up with the double blind theory

Answer 11

Bateson et al

Question 12

What did bateson et al say

Answer 12

Kids who recieve contradictory message from their parents are more likely to develop schizo

Question 13

Give an example for the double blind theory

Answer 13

Mhm tells her son she loves him but at same time turns her head away at disgust
This leads to the child to be confused due to one message invalidating the other

Question 14

Conclusion of double blind theory

Answer 14

Such contradictory messages prevent coherant construction of reality which leads to schizo

Question 15

Who studied expressed emotion

Answer 15

Kalafi and torabi

Question 16

What did kalafi and torabi do and find

Answer 16

Studied relapse rates of schizos in Iran

Found high prevalence of EE was one of the main causes of relapses

Question 17

A02

Who supported kalafi and torabi study?

Answer 17

Linszen et al

Question 18

What did linszen et al find

Answer 18

Patient returning to a family with high EE is 4x more likely to relapse than a patient returning to a family with low EE

Question 19

Conclusion for expressed emotion

Answer 19

Family communication style involving criticism, hostility leads to stress beyond impaired coping mechanisms and so schizo occurs

Question 20

Who tested the labelling theory

Answer 20

Comer

Question 21

What did comer find

Answer 21

Once a diagnostic label for schizo is applied it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy that lead to Dev of schizo

Question 22

What causes people ti label others as schizo

Answer 22

When someone is seen as acting in ways deviant from ‘normal’ rules and shows schizo symptoms