Psychological explanations for Schizophrenia

Question 1

What is family dysfunction?

Answer 1

Refers to the processes within a family e.g. poor communication. which may be risk factors for the development and maintenance of SZ.

Question 2

What did Fromm-Reichmann (1948) propose was a psychodynamic explanation for SZ?

Answer 2

The schizophrenogenic mother.

Question 3

How did the schizophrenogenic mother behave?

Answer 3

Cold, rejecting, controlling.
-> Tends to create a family climate characterised by tension and secrecy.

Question 4

What does the schizophrenogenic mother lead to?

Answer 4

Leads to distrust that later develops into paranoid delusions and ultimately SZ.

Question 5

What is the double bind theory?

Answer 5

The developing child regularly finds themselves trapped in situations where they dear doing the wrong thing, but receive mixed messages about what this is and feel unable to comment on the unfairness of the situation.

Question 6

What happens when a child gets something wrong? (double bind theory)

Answer 6

They are punished by the withdrawal of love.

Question 7

What is the result from the double bind theory on children?

Answer 7

Leaves them with an understanding of the world as confusing and dangerous, this is reflected in the symptoms like disorganised thinking and paranoid delusions.

Question 8

What is expressed emotion?

Answer 8

The level of (negative) emotion expressed towards a person with SZ by their carers who are often family members.

Question 9

What are the 3 elements of expressed emotion?

Answer 9

1) Verbal criticism of the person, occasionally accompanied by violence.
2) Hostility towards the person, including anger and rejection.
3) Emotional overinvolvement in the life of the person.

Question 10

What is expressed emotion an explanation for in regards to SZ?

Answer 10

It’s primarily an explanation for relapse of SZ as opposed to a cause.

Question 11

What are the 3 family dysfunction explanations?

Answer 11

1) The schizophrenogenic mother.
2) Double-bind theory.
3) Expressed emotion.

Question 12

What are the 3 cognitive explanations for SZ?

Answer 12

1) Dysfunctional thinking.
2) Metarepresentation dysfunction.
3) Central control dysfunction.

Question 13

What is dysfunctional thought processing?

Answer 13

Information processing that does not represent reality accurately and produces undesirable consequences.

Question 14

What is associated with negative symptoms?

Answer 14

Reduced thought processing in the ventral striatum.

Question 15

What is associated with hallucinations?

Answer 15

Reduced processing information in the temporal and cingulate gyri.

Question 16

What is metarepresentation?

Answer 16

The cognitive ability to reflect on thoughts and behaviours.
->Allows insight into our own intentions and goals.

Question 17

What would dysfunction in the metarepresentation disrupt?

Answer 17

Our ability to recognise our own actions and thoughts as being carried out by ourselves rather than someone else.

Question 18

What would metarepresentation dysfunction explain?

Answer 18

Hallucinations of hearing voices and delusions like thought insertion.

Question 19

What is central control dysfunction?

Answer 19

There are issues with the cognitive ability to suppress automatic responses while we perform deliberate actions.

Question 20

What could speech poverty and thought disorder result from?

Answer 20

The inability to suppress automatic thoughts and speech triggered by other thoughts.