12.2.14

Evaluation of the Interactionist Approach

Test yourself

Tienari et al. (2004)

There is evidence to support the dual role of vulnerability and stress in the development of schizophrenia.

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Research method

  • Tienari et al. (2004) investigated the combination of genetic vulnerability and parenting style as a trigger.
  • They studied children adopted from 19,000 Finnish mothers with schizophrenia between 1960 and 1979.
  • Their adoptive parents were assessed for child rearing style.
  • Then the rates of schizophrenia were compared to those in a control group of adoptees without any genetic risk.
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Research findings

  • Tienari found that the child rearing style characterised by high levels of criticism and conflict and lower levels of empathy was implicated in the development of schizophrenia.
  • But this was only true of children with high genetic risk and not for children in the control group.
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Study conclusions

  • The Tienari et al. (2004) study provides direct support for the importance of adopting an interactionist approach to schizophrenia, including the idea that poor parenting is a possible source of stress.
  • It also proves that the original diathesis-stress model is too simple, certainly in respect of a single schizogene and a schizophrenic parenting style.

Evaluation of the Interactionist Approach

The interactionist approach has been proven to be both useful and applicable.

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Strengths

  • The interactionist approach has been proven to be both useful and applicable.
  • By comparing the effectiveness of combinations of biological and psychological treatments of schizophrenia versus biological treatment alone, studies have provided evidence to support adopting an interactionist approach to treatment of schizophrenia.
  • This shows an advantage to using a combination of treatments for schizophrenia.
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Weaknesses

  • Turkington et al. argue that there is a logical fit between the interactionist approach and using combination treatments.
  • But the fact that combined biological and psychological treatments are more effective than either on their own does not necessarily mean that the interactionist approach to schizophrenia is correct.
  • Similarly, the fact that drugs help does not mean that schizophrenia is biological in origin. This error of logic is called the treatment causation fallacy.
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Further development

  • There is strong evidence to suggest that some sort of underlying vulnerability coupled with stress can lead to schizophrenia.
  • We also have well-informed suggestions for how vulnerabilities and stress might lead to symptoms.
  • But we do not yet fully understand the mechanisms by which the symptoms of schizophrenia appear and how both vulnerabilities and stress produce them.

Jump to other topics

1Social Influence

2Memory

3Attachment

4Psychopathology

5Approaches in Psychology

6Biopsychology

7Research Methods

8Issues & Debates in Psychology (A2 only)

9Option 1: Relationships (A2 only)

10Option 1: Gender (A2 only)

11Option 1: Cognition & Development (A2 only)

12Option 2: Schizophrenia (A2 only)

13Option 2: Eating Behaviour (A2 only)

14Option 2: Stress (A2 only)

15Option 3: Aggression (A2 only)

16Option 3: Forensic Psychology (A2 only)

17Option 3: Addiction (A2 only)

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