Behavioural Explanations Of Schizophrenia
A2 Psychology: Unit 4
Schizophrenia: Behavioural explanations
Schizophrenia: Behavioural explanations
(part of the psychological explanations)
Any behavioural explanation of schizophrenia has to incorporate fundamentals of conditioning (classical and operant) and/or social learning theory. Is it possible to make sense of the many and varied symptoms of this disorder within that behavioural framework?
Basic Behavioural approach to explaining schizophrenia
The behavioural explanation suggests that schizophrenia is a consequence of faulty learning. Children who do not receive reinforcement early in their lives will put larger attention into irrelevant environmental cues. For example: paying attention to the sound of a word rather than its procedural meaning. This behaviour will eventually appear ‘weird’ or strange to others and so will generally be avoided. These strange behaviours may be rewarded by attention and sympathy and so they are reinforced. This can continue until the behaviour becomes so strange that they are then labelled as schizophrenic. Eventually the behaviour and psychological state deteriorates into a psychotic state.
The principles of operant conditioning are used to explain the schizophrenic’s bizarre behaviour. The behavioural explanation claims that abnormality is learned dysfunctional behaviour. Punishment may lead the child to withdraw and consequently they are labelled as odd. The bizarre behaviour is rewarded with attention and this positive reinforcement encourages them to conform to the label according to Scheff’s labelling theory (1966). Consequently, more exaggerated versions of the disorder are displayed and so schizophrenia develops. Although this has some face validity it lacks conviction as a causal explanation. It is probably more relevant to the maintenance rather than the cause of the disorder as it does not explain how the bizarre behaviour originates. Nor does it account for the severity of the disturbance.
Schizophrenia: Behavioural explanations
Schizophrenia: Behavioural explanations
(part of the psychological explanations)
Any behavioural explanation of schizophrenia has to incorporate fundamentals of conditioning (classical and operant) and/or social learning theory. Is it possible to make sense of the many and varied symptoms of this disorder within that behavioural framework?
Basic Behavioural approach to explaining schizophrenia
The behavioural explanation suggests that schizophrenia is a consequence of faulty learning. Children who do not receive reinforcement early in their lives will put larger attention into irrelevant environmental cues. For example: paying attention to the sound of a word rather than its procedural meaning. This behaviour will eventually appear ‘weird’ or strange to others and so will generally be avoided. These strange behaviours may be rewarded by attention and sympathy and so they are reinforced. This can continue until the behaviour becomes so strange that they are then labelled as schizophrenic. Eventually the behaviour and psychological state deteriorates into a psychotic state.
The principles of operant conditioning are used to explain the schizophrenic’s bizarre behaviour. The behavioural explanation claims that abnormality is learned dysfunctional behaviour. Punishment may lead the child to withdraw and consequently they are labelled as odd. The bizarre behaviour is rewarded with attention and this positive reinforcement encourages them to conform to the label according to Scheff’s labelling theory (1966). Consequently, more exaggerated versions of the disorder are displayed and so schizophrenia develops. Although this has some face validity it lacks conviction as a causal explanation. It is probably more relevant to the maintenance rather than the cause of the disorder as it does not explain how the bizarre behaviour originates. Nor does it account for the severity of the disturbance.