Schizophrenia

• Psychological theories• Psychodynamic• Behaviourist• Cognitive

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Psychodynamic

• Psychological disorders assumed to be manifestations of:• Imbalance between id, ego &

superego• Attempts to deal with unacceptable

repressed material

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Healthy Psyche

Id Superego

Ego

OK Guys – I’m in charge. Anything you want has to go

through me.

OK.OK.

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Neurotic

Id

Superego

Ego

Listen up! I’m in charge, and you are not here to enjoy yourselves. Get ready for a double-size portion of anxiety with a side

order of guilt!

No fun.

>whimper<

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Psychotic

Id

SuperegoEgo

Sex! Food! Drink! Drugs! NOW!

Who turned out the lights?

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Psychodynamic

• Regression to primary narcissism• Id takes over• No distinction between reality &

fantasy, self & others• Inability to function; delay

gratification

• Assumed to be due to maternal behaviour (schizogenic mother)

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Behaviourist

• Mental disorders regarded as sets of learned behaviour• Behaviour acquired through

observation of others• Behaviour maintained through

operant processes

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Cognitive

• Abnormal behaviours assumed to arise from faulty thinking processes• Bentall (2004) presents an account of

how psychotic symptoms occur, but rejects the idea that schiz. is a discrete diagnostic entity

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Cognitive

• Hallucinations• Misattributed inner speech

• Delusions• Attempts to make sense of

hallucinatory experiences• Once delusion arises, attentional bias

tends to maintain it

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Cognitive

• Disorganised thinking & speech• Difficulty distinguishing between

thinking and speech• Deficits in STM and semantic memory• Exacerbated by emotional arousal,

resulting in ‘vicious circle’ or disorganisation

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