RevisionUnit 4

Exam Structure – Psychopathology – 24 marks

• Schizophrenia

• One 24 mark essay question

Exam Structure – Psychology in Action – 24 marks

• Media

• Two 10 mark questions

• One 4 mark question

• First question – Focusing on pos/neg effects of media/videogames

• Second question – Focusing on persuasiveness of media – i.e. models

• Third question – Theories/research on attraction of celebrities

Exam Structure – Research Methods – 35 marks

• Short answer questions

• Answer all of them

• Spend roughly 40 minutes on each section

Biological Explanations for schizophrenia

• Genetics

- Outline of theory

- One adoption study and one twin study

- Evaluative points – strengths and weaknesses related to research

• Dopamine hypothesis

- Outline of theory

- Research evidence

- Evaluative points - strengths and weaknesses related to research

Genetics - Adoption Studies

• Sorri et al (2004) performed a longitudinal study over 21 years on Finnish adoptees with biological mothers with schizophrenia comparing them to adoptees whose biological mothers didn’t have schizophrenia.

• Also considered family rearing styles among adoptive families.

• Adoptees with a high genetic risk of developing schizophrenia were more sensitive to non-healthy rearing parents.

Evaluation of Biological Approach

Humane approach; poses no blame on the individual or their families – states that the people who become ill are purely “unlucky”

Tends to provoke little fear or stigma

Effective treatments

Well established scientific treatments

Reductionist approach – Reference to Diathesis-Stress Model

Animal studies

Relies on self report

Treats symptoms, not causes

Choose Two Psychological Explanations

• Cognitive

• Behavioural

• Psychodynamic

• Sociocultural

• Outline the approach – then discuss research and strengths/limitations