Discuss the biological explanation for developing schizophrenia
(16)
A01:
One explanation for schizophrenia is its genetic basis which runs in families.
The genetic hypothesis states that there is a positive correlation between the
closeness of relation and the risk of developing schizophrenia. Gottesman
conducted twin studies which revealed concordance rates of 48% of
monozygotic twins and 17% for dizygotic twins, concluding a strong genetic
factor. He also analysed family studies of 1000 participants, finding that there
was a 46% concordance rate between both parents having schizophrenia and
their children, thus providing evidence for a genetic component to
schizophrenia.
Another theory is the dopamine hypothesis, which states that excess levels of
dopamine in the subcortex (hyperdopaminergia) or not enough dopamine in
the prefrontal cortex (hypodopaminergia) can develop schizophrenia.
Dopamine is an emotion regulator and therefore a chemical imbalance of too
much can cause positive symptoms like hallucinations and too little can
cause negative symptoms like avolition.
A03:
A strength of the biological explanation is that certain drugs provide evidence
for the dopamine hypothesis. For example, anti-psychotics work by blocking
dopamine receptors in the brain, leading to less frequent binding and neuron
firing, causing a reduction in symptoms for schizophrenic patients. Also,
cocaine has been found to have a profound effect on people as it causes
hypersensitivity of dopamine in the subcortex, not only leading to delusions
and hallucinations, but these positive symptoms can be exaggerated in
current schizophrenic patients. Therefore, different drugs can provide
evidence for abnormal dopamine levels contributing to the risk of
schizophrenia. As well as this, there is practical support for how drugs can
help alleviate schizophrenic symptoms by controlling dopamine levels.
A weakness of the explanation is that it is high in biological determinism, and
believes that your genetic makeup causes schizophrenia, which can be
disproved as Gottesman did not find an 100% concordance rate, suggesting
there must be other factors involved in developing schizophrenia. Research
from the alternative psychological explanation suggests the idea of a
schizophrenogenic mother, one who is cold, hateful and displays conditional
love. A link has been found between a possessive mother and her causing
paranoia and instability in her children, leading to positive symptoms of
schizophrenia. Therefore, the biological explanation is not the only
explanation proposed for schizophrenia and there may be other factors
involved such as stress from a dysfunctional family.
Another strength of the explanation is that whilst the psychological
explanation relies on self-report methods, the biological explanation is
(16)
A01:
One explanation for schizophrenia is its genetic basis which runs in families.
The genetic hypothesis states that there is a positive correlation between the
closeness of relation and the risk of developing schizophrenia. Gottesman
conducted twin studies which revealed concordance rates of 48% of
monozygotic twins and 17% for dizygotic twins, concluding a strong genetic
factor. He also analysed family studies of 1000 participants, finding that there
was a 46% concordance rate between both parents having schizophrenia and
their children, thus providing evidence for a genetic component to
schizophrenia.
Another theory is the dopamine hypothesis, which states that excess levels of
dopamine in the subcortex (hyperdopaminergia) or not enough dopamine in
the prefrontal cortex (hypodopaminergia) can develop schizophrenia.
Dopamine is an emotion regulator and therefore a chemical imbalance of too
much can cause positive symptoms like hallucinations and too little can
cause negative symptoms like avolition.
A03:
A strength of the biological explanation is that certain drugs provide evidence
for the dopamine hypothesis. For example, anti-psychotics work by blocking
dopamine receptors in the brain, leading to less frequent binding and neuron
firing, causing a reduction in symptoms for schizophrenic patients. Also,
cocaine has been found to have a profound effect on people as it causes
hypersensitivity of dopamine in the subcortex, not only leading to delusions
and hallucinations, but these positive symptoms can be exaggerated in
current schizophrenic patients. Therefore, different drugs can provide
evidence for abnormal dopamine levels contributing to the risk of
schizophrenia. As well as this, there is practical support for how drugs can
help alleviate schizophrenic symptoms by controlling dopamine levels.
A weakness of the explanation is that it is high in biological determinism, and
believes that your genetic makeup causes schizophrenia, which can be
disproved as Gottesman did not find an 100% concordance rate, suggesting
there must be other factors involved in developing schizophrenia. Research
from the alternative psychological explanation suggests the idea of a
schizophrenogenic mother, one who is cold, hateful and displays conditional
love. A link has been found between a possessive mother and her causing
paranoia and instability in her children, leading to positive symptoms of
schizophrenia. Therefore, the biological explanation is not the only
explanation proposed for schizophrenia and there may be other factors
involved such as stress from a dysfunctional family.
Another strength of the explanation is that whilst the psychological
explanation relies on self-report methods, the biological explanation is
