SCHIZOPHRENIA ( bio & psychological explanations) Flashcards
(7 cards)
Outline genetic factors as an explanation of Schizophrenia
Family studies - research shows schizophrenia runs in families . The risk is 10% if a first degree relative ( parent or sibling ) has the disorder.
Twin studies - CR are higher in monozygotic twins with 40-50% compared to dizygotic twins around 10-15%
Adoption studies - support a genetic basis by showing that children of schizophrenic parents are more likely to develop the disorder even if raised by non-schizophrenic adoptive parents
Outline the Neurotransmitter Dysfunction ( Dopamine hypothesis) in explaining Schizophrenia
Dopamine hypothesis - suggests that schizophrenia involves dysregulation of dopamine
Hyperdopaminergia - Overactivity of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway is linked to positive symptoms ( hallucinations , delusions )
Hypodopaminergia - Underactivity in the mesocortical pathway may be associated with negative symptoms ( lack of motivation , flat affect)
Revised dopamine hypothesis - involves complex interactions with other neurotransmitters such as glutamate and serotonin , indicating that dopamine is not the only chemical involved.
Outline Brain structure abnormalities ( specific brain areas) in explaining schizophrenia
Enlarged ventricles - patients with schizophrenia often have larger fluid-filled spaces in the brain , indicating a loss of brain tissue
Reduced Grey matter - Especially in the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes , which are involved in decision- making , emotions and memory
Abnormalities in the Hippocampus , amygdala and thalamus : These structures are crucial for information processing and emotional regulation , and abnormalities may contribute to symptoms
EVALUATE THE BIOLOGICAL EXPLANATION TO EXPLANING SCHZ
STRENGTHS :
Empirical support : Twin , family and adoption studies consistently show a higher concordance rate among individuals who share genes ( 48% in monozygotic twins compared to 17% in dizygotic twins )
Scientific credibility : Advances in brain imaging ( MRI, PET scans ) have allowed researchers to identify consistent structural abnormalities in the brains of people with schizophrenia
Effectiveness of Drug therapies : Antipsychotic medications ( chlorpromazine) that block dopamine receptors often reduce positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions. This supports the dopamine hypothesis and the role of neurotransmitter dysfunction.
LIMITATIONS :
Reductionist : bio explanation simplifies a complex disorder to genes , brain structures or chemicals , overlooking social , psychological and environmental factors.
Incomplete : The dopamine hypothesis cannot fully explain negative symptoms ( social withdrawal ) . Many patients show no improvement with dopamine - blocking drugs , suggesting other neurotransmitters like glutamate and serotonin may also play key roles
Correlation v Causation : Brain abnormalities may be a result of schizophrenia or long-term medication use rather than a cause. Enlarged ventricles and reduced grey matter might be effects of chronic illness rather than risk factors
Outline family dysfunction as an explanation for schizophrenia including the double blind theory & expressed emotion
This explanation suggests that schizophrenia can be triggered or worsened by abnormal patterns of communication within families
Double bind theory : Children receive conflicting messages from parents , especially when verbal and non-verbal messages contradict eg. mother tells her son she loves him but turns her head in disgust leads to confusion , inability to develop an internal coherent construction of reality and disorganised thinking
Expressed Emotions ( EE) : a family communication style involving criticism, hostility , and emotional over-involvement associated with relapse in patients with schizophrenia. Increases stress beyond the individual’s coping capacity , triggering episodes .
Outline the cognitive explanations to schizophrenia
Dysfunctional thought processing - difficulty in recognising one’s own thoughts and actions as self-generated. Linked to hallucinations ( eg. hearing voices )
Cognitive biases : Schizophrenics have biased information processing eg.
Jumping to conclusions : interpreting situations without enough evidence ( persecutory delusions )
Dysfunctional attributional style : Tendency to interpret events in self - referential and negative ways
Evaluate the psychological explanations
STRENGTHS :
Emphasise the role of environmental factors , which biological explanations may neglect . Basis for effective therapies like family therapy to reduce EE ( meta-analysis found family therapy reduced relapse rates ) , CBT to address cognitive distortions and reduce delusions/hallucinations helping patients develop more rational thinking patterns
Supports the diathesis - stress model : psych explanations work well alongside biological vulnerabilities , supporting a holistic view of schizophrenia eg. someone may have a genetic predisposition ( diathesis ) but only develop schizophrenia under psychological stress such as high EE environments
Support for EE : Expressed emotion is a reliable predictor of relapse - patients returning to high EE families were more likely to relapse than those returning to low-EE environments
LIMITATIONS :
Cause or effect : family dysfunction could be a response to living with a schizophrenic person , not the cause likewise cognitive impairments may arise as a consequence of schizophrenia rather than being a cause of the disorder , This undermines explanatory power
Overemphasis on Nurture , Neglect of Biology : underplay the importance of biological factors like genetic ( high CR in MZ twins ) , dopamine hypothesis , Neural correlates ( enlarged ventricles) . A purely psychologist explanation is reductionist ignoring well supported biological contributions.
Limited Generalisability and Culture bias : Most psychological explanations are based on western individualist concepts of family and cognition . In collectivist cultures family dynamics differ and EE may not have the same impact , this limits the cross - cultural validity
