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Evaluating Schizophrenia Explanations (Biological Explanations (Dopamine…

- - - - Research Ev
        
        Ev: Griffiths gave non-SZ ppts Da agonists (dextroamphetamines), sudden increase of Da caused an abrupt onset of positive SZ symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations
        
        Ex: Suggests that increase in Da levels can cause positive symptoms of SZ so we are able to draw causal conclusions
      - Useful Applications
        
        Ev: APs block Da (antagonist), before 1950 SZ seen as untreatable
        
        Ev: Cole et al = 75% improvement in drug condition, 25% improvement in placebo condition
        
        Ex: Revolutionised treatment of SZ, drugs work meaning validity is given to the Da explanation that an increase in Da causes SZ symptoms
    - - Cause & Effect
        
        Unclear if Da causes SZ or if SZ alters brain chemistry
        
        Evidence APs alter brain chemistry
        
        Ex: Questions validity of the hypothesis and its ability to explain the cause of SZ
      - Reductionist
        
        Ev: Reduces complex behaviours like SZ down to levels of Da in the brain
        
        Ex: Weakness as it ignores other important factors such as dysfunctional families and childhood experiences
        
        Ex: A better explanation may be the DSM - biological predisposition triggered by an environmental factor
  - - - Ev: Weinburger et al used CAT scans to investigate ventricle size, found 58 SZ ppts had larger ventricles than 56 non-SZ ppts
      - Ex: Such factors = objectively measured and examined in controlled conditions using specialised brain scanning equipment - therefore high in internal validity and easier to repeat
    - - Cause & Effect
        
        Ev: Although evidence implicates this it does not tell us that it is the cause of SZ, SZ may damage brain structure
        
        Ev: Lyon et al = some evidence to suggest APs alter brain structure
        
        Ex: Issue with studying SZ retrospectively as SZ ppts may have already taken medication
        
        Ex: Questions validity of explanation
- - - - Research Ev
        
        Ev: Mednick longitudinal study, 12/207 high risk children with cold/rejecting mothers developed SZ compared to 1/107 low risk children with normal mothers
        
        Ex: gives validity to the claim of having a SZG mother increases the chance of developing SZ, longitudinal study allows for causal conclusions to be made
        
        C: however, not all 207 high risk children developed SZ suggesting SZG mother is not the sole cause of SZ
    - - Cause & Effect
        
        Ex: questions validity of the SZG mother hypothesis
        
        Ev: Mother’s behaviour may cause SZ symptoms or SZ symptoms may cause the mother to act cold/rejecting
      - Unscientific
        
        Explanation lacks scientific evidence and rigour
        
        Ev: cannot objectively test Freud’s ideas meaning they are unfalsifiable
        
        Ex: weakness as explanation is not given respect and may be regarded as invalid
        
        Ex: a better explanation = Da hypothesis (based on scientific evidence)
      - Ethical/Social Implications
        
        Ev: blames mother for the child’s disorder leading to extreme guilt (psych harm) - if child blames mother it could lead to a breakdown of family relationships
        
        Ex: therefore this explanation could be considered unethical
    - - Weak ex
      - Can’t fully explain SZ
      - Childhood experiences may be considered as the environmental trigger in the DSM
  - - - Research Ev
        
        Evidence supporting the role of issues with filtering info effectively
        
        Ev: Barch et al = compared performance on Stroop Test of people with SZ and a control group - SZ were slower and made more mistakes
        
        Ex: suggests those with SZ can’t filter info as effectively as those without SZ - gives validity to Frith’s idea that the attentional filters of SZ individuals are defective
    - - Descriptive Only
        
        Criticised for only describing the cognitive issues that may underlie certain SZ symptoms
        
        Ev: cog approach suggests that one cause of SZ is cog deficits (faulty attentional processing) - fails to explain the origin of this issue
        
        Ex: suggests the cog explanation is insufficient to explain the cause of SZ
        
        C: Howes and Murray = integrated model
        
        Suggest genes combine with life events/social stressors = release of Da - increase in Da causes problems with cog processing, delusions and hallucinations
- - - - Research Ev
        
        Ev: Patients with SZ could recall more double bind statements from their mothers than control group
        
        Ex: Suggests that contradictory messages do potentially play a role in the development of SZ
        
        C: BUT no significant increase in double bind statements of SZ patients and patients with other mental disorders so it cannot explain why this type of faulty comms leads to SZ specifically instead of other disorders
        
        C: Also, based on retrospective data (memory may not be accurate) so questions validity - weak supporting evidence
      - Useful Applications
        
        Helped to develop Family Intervention Therapy (FIT)
        
        Ev: Works to reduce high EE environments by reducing expression of anger and criticism and creating realistic expectations for the sufferer
        
        Ex: Pharaoh reviewed 53 random studies and found FIT reduced relapse rates and hospital admissions
        
        Proof the therapy works gives validity to the explanation
    - - Cause & Effect
        
        Ev: The development and display of SZ symptoms may cause a family to fall into faulty communication habits rather than the faulty communication being the cause of SZ
        
        Ex: Cannot establish causal conclusions which questions the validity of the explanation
      - Reductionist
        
        Ev: Reduces complex behaviour such as SZ down to faulty comms within the family
        
        Ex: Weakness due to ignoring other important factors such as biological and cognitions
        
        Ex: Better ex may be DSM which considers biological factors as a predisposition and social factors as an environmental trigger for the disorder to develop
  - - - Research Ev
        
        Ev: Faris and Dunham found higher rates of SZ in densely populated inner Chicago than less populated outskirts
        
        Ex: Supports the fact that living in a more densely populated urban environment leads to an increased likelihood of developing SZ
    - - Cause & Effect
        
        Ev: Social drift theory argues that having SZ forces people to move to urban areas to find affordable accomodation on benefits and to be closer to resources (eg hospital)
        
        Ex: Therefore living in an urban area may not be the cause of SZ but the effect of having the disorder