“Outline + evaluate 2 or more biological explanations
of schizophrenia”
GENETIC FACTORS
A01 –
A way of establishing a link between genetics + schizophrenia is by
studying concordance rates between particular individuals, including:
biological relatives, twins + adoptees.
BIOLOGICAL RELATIVES – Gottesman - found schizophrenia is more
common among biological relatives of a person with schizophrenia. The
closer the degree of relatedness, the greater the risk.
→ suggests schizophrenia can run in the family so is a genetic factor.
TWINS - the more similar two individuals are genetically, the higher the
chance of both twins having schizophrenia which suggests schizophrenia is
a genetic factor.
A02 –
1) BIOLOGICAL RELATIVES EVALUATION -
Families share the same emotional environment/rearing patterns, as well
as genes.
→ weakens role of genetic factors because it suggests environmental
factors can influence schizophrenia. The fact that family members
experience the same environment could account for the concordance
rates between relatives – could be due to nurture/socialisation.
2) TWINS EVALUATION –
Joseph – argues monozygotic twins are treated more similarly the dizygotic
twins.
→ weakens role of genetic factors because if monozygotic twins are
treated more similarly, environmental factors that can trigger
schizophrenia are more likely to be inflicted on both twins as opposed to
just one. This could explain why there are higher concordance rates
among monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins.
of schizophrenia”
GENETIC FACTORS
A01 –
A way of establishing a link between genetics + schizophrenia is by
studying concordance rates between particular individuals, including:
biological relatives, twins + adoptees.
BIOLOGICAL RELATIVES – Gottesman - found schizophrenia is more
common among biological relatives of a person with schizophrenia. The
closer the degree of relatedness, the greater the risk.
→ suggests schizophrenia can run in the family so is a genetic factor.
TWINS - the more similar two individuals are genetically, the higher the
chance of both twins having schizophrenia which suggests schizophrenia is
a genetic factor.
A02 –
1) BIOLOGICAL RELATIVES EVALUATION -
Families share the same emotional environment/rearing patterns, as well
as genes.
→ weakens role of genetic factors because it suggests environmental
factors can influence schizophrenia. The fact that family members
experience the same environment could account for the concordance
rates between relatives – could be due to nurture/socialisation.
2) TWINS EVALUATION –
Joseph – argues monozygotic twins are treated more similarly the dizygotic
twins.
→ weakens role of genetic factors because if monozygotic twins are
treated more similarly, environmental factors that can trigger
schizophrenia are more likely to be inflicted on both twins as opposed to
just one. This could explain why there are higher concordance rates
among monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins.
