Schizophrenia
A severe mental disorder characterized by disruptions in thought, perception, and emotion.
Full topic guide: the detailed syllabus page with worked examples and common mistakes lives at studyvector.co.uk/a-level/psychology/advanced-topics-options/schizophrenia.
Topic preview: Schizophrenia
Sample stems from the StudyVector question bank (AQA · Edexcel · OCR) — not generic filler text.
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Coverage and provenance
What this page is based on
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Topic explanation
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by disruptions in thought processes, perceptions, emotional responsiveness, and social interactions. A-Level students should focus on its symptoms, types, and the biological and psychological explanations, including the dopamine hypothesis and family dysfunction.
Schizophrenia is easiest to revise when it is treated as a precise exam behaviour, not a loose note-taking category. In A-Level Psychology, the goal is to recognise how the topic appears in a question, identify the command word, and decide what evidence, method, or vocabulary earns marks. StudyVector keeps this page tied to AQA · Edexcel · OCR language where coverage is available, then routes practice towards the same topic so revision moves from explanation into retrieval.
A strong revision session starts with a short recall check. Write down the rule, definition, process, or method linked to Schizophrenia before looking at any notes. Then answer one exam-style prompt and compare your answer with the mark-scheme logic: did you make a clear point, support it with the right step, and avoid drifting into a nearby topic? This matters because many lost marks come from almost-correct answers that do not match the expected structure.
Use this guide as the first layer: understand the topic, look at the worked examples, complete the mini quiz, then move into full practice. The full StudyVector practice loop is designed to capture whether mistakes are caused by knowledge, method, language, or timing. That distinction is important. If the error is factual, you need reteaching. If the error is method-based, you need a worked retry. If the error is wording, you need command-word calibration. That is how Schizophrenia becomes a controlled revision target rather than another page in a folder.
Lost marks → repair task
Why marks are usually lost here
These are the error patterns StudyVector looks for after an attempt. The goal is not a generic explanation; it is one repair move and one follow-up question.
Command-word miss
Examiner move: Answer the action in the command word before adding extra detail.
Repair drill: 60-second rewrite: start the answer with explain, compare, evaluate, state, or calculate in mind.
Missing chain of reasoning
Examiner move: Show the link between point, method, evidence, and conclusion instead of jumping to the final line.
Repair drill: Write the missing because/therefore step, then retry one isomorphic question.
Weak evidence or data reference
Examiner move: Use a precise value, quote, example, diagram feature, or syllabus term to support the claim.
Repair drill: Add one concrete reference to the answer and remove any generic sentence that does not earn a mark.
Mini quiz
Use these checks before full practice. They test topic recognition, exam technique, and whether you can connect the explanation to a marked response.
1. What should you check first when a Schizophrenia question appears in A-Level Psychology?
- A.The command word and the exact topic focus
- B.The longest paragraph in your notes
- C.A memorised answer from a different topic
2. Which revision action gives the strongest evidence that Schizophrenia is improving?
- A.Rereading the explanation twice
- B.Answering a timed exam-style question and reviewing lost marks
- C.Highlighting every key phrase in the topic notes
Sample questions
Topic-specific public question previews are still being reviewed. We keep them off public pages until the topic match is safe.
Exam tips
- Read the command word carefully — "explain" needs reasons; "state" expects a short fact.
- For Schizophrenia, show structured working even when you are practising multiple choice — it builds accuracy under time pressure.
- Mark yourself against the mark scheme style: one clear point per mark, in logical order.
- Come back to this topic after a day or two; short spaced reviews beat one long cram.
Worked examples
Example 1
Modelled exam response
When asked to 'Discuss biological explanations for schizophrenia,' structure your answer by first outlining the dopamine hypothesis, supported by evidence such as increased dopamine receptor activity in patients. Then, evaluate with studies like Leucht et al. (2013) showing the effectiveness of antipsychotics, while considering issues like causation and reductionism.
Example 2
Identify the task before answering
Question type: a Schizophrenia prompt asks for a clear response in A-Level Psychology. Step 1: underline the command word. Step 2: name the exact part of Schizophrenia being tested. Step 3: decide whether the mark scheme wants a definition, method, explanation, comparison, or calculation. Why it works: most weak answers fail before the content starts because they answer the topic generally rather than the exact exam task.
Example 3
Turn feedback into a repair task
Suppose your answer shows partial understanding but loses marks for precision. First, rewrite the missing mark as a short target: "I need to state the mechanism, unit, reason, or evidence explicitly." Then answer one similar question without notes. Finally, compare the second attempt with the first and check whether the same mark was recovered. Why it works: Schizophrenia improves faster when feedback creates a specific retry, not another passive reading session.
Next revision routes from this subject
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Common mistakes
- Confusing positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions) with negative symptoms (avolition, speech poverty).
- Neglecting to discuss both biological and psychological explanations in essay questions.
- Failing to critically evaluate the evidence supporting different treatments, such as antipsychotic drugs and CBT.
Exam board notes
Schizophrenia is covered by AQA, Edexcel, and OCR. AQA focuses on both biological and psychological explanations, whereas OCR may emphasize evaluation of treatments. Edexcel requires understanding of cultural and diagnostic issues related to the disorder.
FAQs
What are the main symptoms of schizophrenia?
The main symptoms include positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, and negative symptoms such as avolition and speech poverty.
How does the dopamine hypothesis explain schizophrenia?
The dopamine hypothesis suggests that schizophrenia is linked to excessive dopamine activity, particularly in the brain's mesolimbic pathway.
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