Schizophrenia Key Words

Question 1

Schizophrenia

Answer 1

A severe mental disorder where contact with reality and insight are impaired

Question 2

Classification

Answer 2

The process of organising symptoms into categories based on which symptoms frequently cluster together

Question 3

Diagnosis

Answer 3

The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms

Question 4

DSM-5

Answer 4

The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edition)

Question 5

ICD-10

Answer 5

International classification of diseases (10th addition)

Question 6

Positive symptoms

Answer 6

Atypical symptoms experienced in addition to normal experiences

Question 7

Hallucinations

Answer 7

Sensory experiences that have either no basis in reality or are distorted perceptions of things that are there

Question 8

Delusions

Answer 8

Beliefs that have no basis in reality

Question 9

Negative symptoms

Answer 9

A typical experiences that represent the loss of an usual experience

Question 10

Speech poverty

Answer 10

Reduced frequency and quality of speech

Question 11

Avolition

Answer 11

Loss of motivation to carry out tasks and results in lowered activity levels

Question 12

Reliability

Answer 12

Concerns the consistency of, in this case, diagnosis

Question 13

Validity

Answer 13

Concerns the accuracy of, in this case, diagnosis

Question 14

Co-morbidity

Answer 14

The occurrence of two disorders or conditions together. Where two conditions are frequently diagnosed together it calls into question the validity of classifying the two disorders seperately

Question 15

Symptom overlap

Answer 15

When two or more conditions share the same symptoms. Where two conditions share the same symptoms it calls into questions the validity of classifying the two disorders separately

Question 16

Gender bias

Answer 16

The tendency for diagnostic criteria to be applied differently to males and females

Question 17

Culture bias SZ

Answer 17

The tendency to over diagnose members of other cultures as having in this case schizophrenia

Question 18

Genetic explanations

Answer 18

A biological theory that sees genes inherited from one’s ancestors as forming the basis for in this case schizophrenia

Question 19

Candidate genes

Answer 19

Specific genes that relate to a particular trait in this case schizophrenia

Question 20

Aetiologically heterogeneous

Answer 20

Several different combinations of genes can lead to in this case schizophrenia

Question 21

Concordance rate

Answer 21

A measure of similarity usually expressed as a percentage between two individuals or two sets of individuals on a given trait in this case schizophrenia

Question 22

Polygenic

Answer 22

When a characteristic in this case schizophrenia is influenced by two or more genes

Question 23

Neural correlates

Answer 23

Structural and functional changes in the brain that result in the characteristic symptoms of a behaviour or mental disorder in this case schizophrenia

Question 24

Dopamine

Answer 24

A neurotransmitter that generally has an excitatory effect and is linked to the sensation of pleasure

Question 25

**Hyper**dopaminergic

Answer 25

High levels of dopamine activity

Question 26

**Hypo**dopaminergic

Answer 26

Low levels of dopamine activity

Question 27

Family dysfunction

Answer 27

Refers to the processes within a family that are dysfunctional eg impaired. These may be risk factors for both the development and the maintenance of schizophrenia

Question 28

Schizophrenogenic mother

Answer 28

“Schizophrenic causing” mother who is cold rejecting and controlling

Question 29

Double bind situations

Answer 29

Social interactions in which an individual is repeatedly exposed to conflicting instructions without having the opportunity to adequately respond to those instructions or to ignore them

Question 30

Expressed emotion

Answer 30

The level of emotion (usually negative) expressed towards a person with schizophrenia by their family members or carers

Question 31

Cognitive explanations

Answer 31

Focus on mental processes (such as thinking, language and attention) as underpinning behaviour in this care schizophrenia

Question 32

Dysfunctional thought processing

Answer 32

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

Question 33

Metacognition

Answer 33

The cognitive monitoring of one’s own thought processes

Question 34

Central control

Answer 34

The cognitive ability to suppress automatic responses while performing deliberate actions

Question 35

Drug therapy

Answer 35

Treatment of mental disorders such as schizophrenia using medication to reduce the symptoms of the disorder

Question 36

Typical antipsychotics

Answer 36

Dopamine antagonists; they bind but do not stimulate dopamine receptors. They work together to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia

Question 37

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Answer 37

A method for treating mental disorders based on both cognitive and behavioural techniques. It aims to deal with thinking such as challenging negative thoughts and beliefs and changing behaviour as a response

Question 38

Family therapy

Answer 38

A psychological therapy carried out with all or come members of a family with the aim of improving the communications within the family

Question 39

Token economy programmes

Answer 39

A form of behavioural modification where desirable behaviours are encouraged by the use of selective reinforcement

Question 40

Primary reinforcer

Answer 40

“Things” that are innately reinforcing such as food or warmth

Question 41

Secondary reinforcer

Answer 41

A stimulus (token) that reinforces a behaviour after it has been associated with a primary reinforcer (reward)

Question 42

Institutionalisation

Answer 42

The effects of living in a hospital for a prolonged period

Question 43

Interactionist approach

Answer 43

A broad approach to explaining behaviour, which acknowledges that a range of factors including biological and psychological factors are involved in the development of a disorder

Question 44

Diathesis stress model

Answer 44

An interactionist approach to explaining behaviour that focuses on both an underlying vunerablility and a trigger, both of which are necessary for the onset of a disorder

Question 45

Diathesis

Answer 45

An underlying vulnerability that can be triggered by a stress resulting in the development of disorder

Question 46

Stress

Answer 46

A trigger which interacts with an underlying vulnerability resulting in the development of disorder