TEST FEEDBACK

Q.01 Outline clinical characteristics of schizophrenia (4 marks) : ADVICE

For 4 marks you need to be:

Thorough = covered enough in detail (e.g. 3-4 in detail)

Don’t just list them, explain what each characteristic is

E.g. Give the overall explanation of a delusion before examples of the different types

Accurate = no errors (see later activity)

Coherent = clearly explained

You can describe the clinical characteristics

And/or the diagnostic criteria

Coherent answers divided the characteristics into positive and negative

Question 1: Activity

•Look at the following errors that students tended to make in their answers•Discuss with your partner why it is an error•Write your correction onto your feedback sheet•Extension activity if finish

1. “The positive characteristics of schizophrenia show normal functioning whereas the negative characteristics show a loss of functioning”

2. “Avolition is when the person sits around for hours showing catatonic behaviour”

3. “Visual is the most common type of hallucination in people with Schizophrenia”

4. “Flattened effect is another characteristic where the individual has a reduction in the range of emotional expression”

1. “The positive characteristics of schizophrenia show normal functioning whereas the negative characteristics show a loss of functioning”

! They show an excess or distortion of normal functioning

2. “Avolition is when the person sits around for hours showing catatonic behaviour”

Catatonia is a different symptom, where there is a rigidity of posture

3. “Visual is the most common type of hallucination in people with Schizophrenia”

auditory

4. “Flattened effect is another characteristic where the individual has a reduction in the range of emotional expression”

Affect = emotion

Effect = something brought about by a cause

Therefore this spelling mistake makes a different word and makes it muddled/inaccurate

Extension: Why is it useful to know the distinction between the positive and

negative symptoms?

Because it can be used in evaluation of different explanations and treatments

Some explanations (and treatments) only account for positive symptoms

Therefore……..

Q 02 Explain issues associated with the classification and/or diagnosis of schizophrenia

(10 marks) This question’s allocation is AO2/3 (you know this as any 24 mark question has 8 marks AO1 and these are split across question 1 and question 3 on the test)

Identify and then explain in detail issues

A requirement to explain at least two

Each must be in context of schizophrenia rather than general problems (otherwise not “well-focused”)

E.g. labelling, or that there are different criteria used in different manuals are probably issues for depression as well. Your answer must be specific to schzophrenia

E.g. your evidence by McGovern – he didn’t look at ALL patients and find 2/3 were African- Caribbean, but that out of the schizophrenic patients, 2/3 were African-Caribbean

To be effective evaluation each issue needs to be fully justified and elaborated (see exemplar) in order to show “coherent elaboration”

Use Consistent terminology (see exemplar answer) to show psychological knowledge

Ethic bias? = this is a spelling mistake which makes your answer muddled

How much can you write in 35 minutes?

I would say approx 2 and ½ sides (with time to think)

Therefore under ½ side for 4 mark question ,1 side for each 10 mark question – did you spend too long on the characteristics?

Start a new issue with a new paragraph to make your answer clear

Chief Examiner’s Comments “ More structured paragraphs introduced by phrases such as 'an issue is -----, 'this is an issue because ---', ‘a consequence of this issue ---‘, would have benefited many candidates”

Refer to validity and reliability in your answer…….

But only when appropriate, and they must be explained….

E.g. the issue of labelling isn’t really anything to do with validity

“Another issue is ‘different criteria’.” “A problem with the diagnosis of schizophrenia is called ‘sub-types’”

Neither of these are sentences NOR make sense (i.e. coherent)

“One problem is that there are different criteria used to diagnose schizophrenia”

“A problem with diagnosing schizophrenia is that it is classified into many sub-types”

Question 2: Activity

1. Read through the common error made (handout)

2. On the exemplar answer (handout), fill in the gaps to make a completely effective answer

3. Try without your notes first….

4. Extension Question