The interactionist approach Flashcards
Outline
states that schizophrenia is a combination of biological factors (genes, neurotransmitters and brain abnormalities) and psychological factors such as everyday hassles and life events.
The original diathesis stress model (Meehl 1962)
states that a schizophrenic gene acted as a diathesis by making people more vulnerable to developing the disorder by giving them a schizotype personality. However, the person needed to be exposed to a stressful life effect in order for schizophrenia to be triggered.
The modern diathesis stress model
Diathesis is not just restricted to one gene as it has been shown that several genes link to the disorder. Also, abuse which was considered as a stressful life event can also been seen as a diathesis as it can effect the development of the brain in early childhood. Now, anything that triggers schizophrenia is a stressor, i.e biological factors such as smoking cannabis.
Treatment according to the interactionist approach
involves combining both drugs and psychological therapies, most commonly CBT. This is because the approach proposes there is a biological and psychological element to the disorder.
Evaluation strength: Tiernari et al (2004)
who examined 19,000 children from schizophrenic mothers in Finland from 1960 to 1979 who were subsequently adopted and found that those most likely to develop the disorder were the ones that went into difficult family environments characterised by hostility and low empathy.
Evaluation strength: Tarrier et al (2004)
found that schizophrenics who received medication and CBT or supportive counselling showed a greater reduction in symptoms than a group who were just given drug treatment.
Evaluation weakness: not clear how diathesis and stress work together to be a cause
Although researchers have identified causes (diathesis) and triggers (stressors), we are still not sure how they combine together to cause schizophrenia. This makes it difficult to predict whether someone will get the disorder.
Evaluation weakness: causation issues
as just because drugs and psychological treatments help schizophrenics to recover, this does not mean that schizophrenia is definitely caused by biological and psychological factors.
