Schizophrenia and Dopamine Hypothesis Essay Example

Schizophrenia and Dopamine Hypothesis Essay Example Schizophrenia and Dopamine Hypothesis Essay Schizophrenia and Dopamine Hypothesis Essay Yale Alexia Abnormal Psychology 2013FA-PSY-241-1 Tuesday/Thursday 9a. m. 10/9/13 Schizophrenia And the Dopamine Hypothesis INTRO Men will always be mad and those who think the can cure them are the maddest of all. (Volaire, 1759) Schizophrenia, aka the cancer of psychology, has become a vast mystery for psychologist. It accounts for 80% of long-term hospital stays. Even with the conveniences of modern technology we still have yet to be able to discover the true cure for the disorder. There are several unique biological, environmental, and developmental factors that help influence the likelihood of obtaining Schizophrenia. One major influence making its way into spotlight is Dopamine. Multiple studies have shown that an abnormal level of the neurotransmitter Dopamine can indeed be related back to a significant increase in ones likelihood of being diagnosed with Schizophrenia (Creese, Burt, Snyder, 1976). Thus creating the dopamine hypothesis. There are numerous facts that help support the dopamine hypothesis as a significant cause to being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. The main supporting factors for the dopamine hypothesis include evidence from illicit drug use, neuroimaging, and a roup of drugs called phenothiazines. DEFINED Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which your personal, social, and occupational lives deteriorate as a result from its characteristics that lead to a breakdown of cognitive, emotional, and motor responses. Symptoms of Schizophrenia usually begin to appear during young childhood. The most common symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking/speech, social withdrawal, and loss of motivation and Judgment. There are three different categories that symptoms can be classified into: positive symptoms symptoms that appear to be in excess of ehavior, emotion, and/or bizarre additions to normal thoughts; negative symptoms symptoms that are in deficit when compared to normal thoughts, behaviors, and emotions; and lastly psychomotor symptoms symptoms dealing with unusual movements or gesturers. Both positive and negative symptoms are typically common, however, one or the other types will typically dominate patients (Keefe Eesley, 2012). ETIOLOGY The etiology of Schizophrenia is commonly attributed to genetics, but environmental factors such as, developmental complications and drug use, that also influence the occurrence rate. Finding an individuals main cause of the disorder can often prove challenging because of the difficulty in telling the separation between the effects of genetics and the environment (Picchioni, Murray, 2007). Having a first- degree relative will set you at a 6. 5% chance of being diagnosed with the disorder. It is thought that there is most likely numerous genes that go into play when it comes to Schizophrenia. There are no known major affecting genes that cause this disorder, but more likely a number of genes with their own small effect and unknown expression. This creates much difficulty when trying to pinpoint the specific related enes (McLaren, Silins, and Hutchingson, 2010). It is believed that people with Schizophrenia are more likely to be born during the winter or spring, if they live in the northern hemisphere. This is thought to be because, while pregnant, Mothers are put at an increased risk of viral exposure to the womb, by things such as infections and hypoxia. Stress and malnutrition can also lead to a slight increase in the risk of the development of Schizophrenia later on in life. As either a child or an adult living in an urban environment, especially when living in poverty, has been found to largely increase your chances of being diagnosed ith this disorder. Having a positive social life and living with supportive parents has been shown to increase the overall well being of the patient (Picchioni, Murray, 2007). The last major factor that influences the diagnosis of Schizophrenia is drug use. Around half of the people who are diagnosed with Schizophrenia also use and abuse drugs and or alcohol. Amphetamines, cocaine, and marijuana are thought to be the major contributors (Picchioni, Murray, 2007; McLaren, Silins, and Hutchingson, 2010). These drugs especially, are associated with the dopamine hypothesis, which will be iscussed later on in greater depth. Other drugs, such as alcohol, may possibly be used as Just a way to cope with the depression, boredom, and loneliness that often follow along with the disorder. RATE/INCIDENCE Approximately 1% of the worlds population is affected by this disorder. That means over 24 million people worldwide have had Schizophrenia at some point in their lives (Van Os J Kapur S, 2009). However, this rate can vary up to threefold according to geographical location. It is 1. 4 times more likely to occur in males than females and usually appears earlier in life for men. People who have biological elatives are at a heightened risk of obtaining Schizophrenia (Coon Mitterer, 2007). Having an identical twin or being the child of two parents with the disorder puts you at an 46%/48% chance of developing the disorder. DIANOSIS Observing ones behavior, as well as listening to the patients past reported experiences, is the most common method of diagnosis. According to the DSM-Vto be diagnosed with Schizophrenia, over a one-month period, you have to experience at least two separate symptoms long enough to become abnormal. At least one of these symptoms has to be delusions, hallucinations, or disorganized speec h. In the evelopment of Schizophrenia there are three different stages: acute, residual, and prodromal stage (Barnett, 2009). The first stage of Schizophrenia is the prodromal stage. This stage refers to the year before the illness appears in which people start showing signs of the disorder. Often they start to isolate themselves from friends and family and have decreased motivation or bunted emotions. The second stage is the acute stage. In this stage someone will start experiencing psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, or overly disorganized behavior. This stage shows that the person has fully development the disorder. The third and final stage is the residual stage. This stage is very similar to the prodromal stage. People who are in this stage do not appear psychotic but they may still have strange beliefs and or other negative symptoms such as low energy or lack of emotions (American Medical Network, 2009). TREATMENT To help manage Schizophrenia patients are most often prescribed antipsychotic medications, usually along with psychological help and social support groups (Van Os J, Kapur S, 2009). Since the 1950s, when deinstitutionalization came about, long hospital stays have largely become a thing of the past, although sometimes they do till occur; which depending on the severity of the disorder, can be either voluntary or involuntary. Most antipsychotics reduce the positive symptoms in around 1-2 weeks. So that will get rid, or at least help control, all of the extra crazy sights and sounds. However, there is no significant improvement when it comes to the negative symptoms as well as most of the cognitive dysfunctions (Tandon, Keshavan, Nasrallah, 2008). As long as the patient stays on the medication they should have a largely decreased chance of relapse. Beyond 2-3 years research shows that the antipsychotics may become inconsistent with the significance of the benefits. Based on the costs, benefits, and risks of the medication, a person diagnosed with Schizophrenia would be prescribed with one of two different classes of antipsychotics; either typical, or atypical antipsychotics. Both classes have an equal dropout and relapse rate so it is very debatable as to which class is better than the other. As with many major medications there are separate negative side effects that are associated with the two classes. Antipsychotics in the typical class, such as Haldol, Thorazine, and Prolizin, often have a high rate of extrapyramidal side effects; he major one being tardive dyskinesia (TD)- causing involuntary movements most often affecting the facial region. Patients may not even notice these movements. The newer medications in the atypical class, such as Abilify, Risperdal, and Seroquel, have a much lower risk of TD, but patients will often have a significant increase in body weight gain. Also, if given at too high of a dosage, patients may experience social withdrawal as well as have body tremors/movements that get very close to resembling Parkinsons disease (National Institute Of Mental Health, 2006). PREVENTION Schizophrenia is a disorder with no reliable distinctions for the development of the disease (Cannon, Comblatt, Mcgorry, 2007). This creates an issue for early detection and prevention. There is indecisive evidence as to the effectiveness of early interventions to prevent Schizophrenia (Marshall, Rathbone, 2006). While still in the prodromal phase, it is uncertain that attempting to prevent Schizophrenia is of any benefit and therefore as of 2009 is not recommended. After a year, cognitive behavioral therapy is able to decrease the chance of psychosis in those patients that re of high risk of obtaining the disorder (Stafford MR, Jackson H, Mayo-Wilson E, Morrison AP, Kendall T, 2013). Another preventive measure, that is widely accepted, is staying away from drugs that are thought to be able to cause the disorder, such as meth, coke, and marijuana. This preventive method is also known as the Hugs Not Drugs method (Hugsnotdrugs. com, 2013). PROGNOSIS Schizophrenia can become extremely disabling. Being ranked as the 3rd highest disabling condition in the world, placing Schizophrenia higher up on the list than blindness and paraplegia (Ustun, 1999). Studies have shown that people who are iagnosed more at risk to commit suicide. However, this higher risk of suicide is not significant being as low as only 4. % most likely; most commonly occurring at the beginning of facilitation when they are undergoing extreme stress (Hor k, Taylor M, 2010). Although life expectancy has increased in recent decades, people with Schizophrenia on average have a 12-15 year decrease in life expectancy compared to the normal population. There are three major factors that contribute to the lo wer life expectancy: a lazy/low activity life style, obesity, and smoking cigarettes (Van Os J, Kapur, 2009). Of people diagnosed with Schizophrenia, about % have a continuing disability and problems with relapses. About 17 million people in the world are living with a moderate or severe disability from the disorder. However there are patients that do recover completely and many others are still able to function well in everyday society. Very often people with Schizophrenia are also heavy smokers. Anywhere from 80-90% of Schizophrenic people smoke cigarettes. This is very significant compared to the 20% of people who smoke from the general population. When Schizophrenic people smoke, they tend to smoke very heavy and hard as well as ypically only smoking cigarettes with high nicotine content (APA, 2002, pg. 304). Excess tobacco smoking will of course lead to a higher health risk that contributes to the lower life expectancy. There has yet to be an exact solid answer as to why Schizophrenic people more commonly smoke cigarettes. DOPAMINE D2 The Dopamine hypothesis is a model that states that certain factors, which of whom have been known to create abnormally excessive levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, have been linked to a significantly increased risk of being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. These abnormal levels of dopamine result from eurons firing too often that make use of dopamine as a neurotransmitter. This causes an uneven shift in the two-way communication within the brain, and sends too many messages at once, in turn producing symptoms that are common to Schizophrenia (Grace, Abi-Dargham, 2011). As more and more studies are being completed, this hypothesis is continuing to provide an evolving basis to help psychologists understand as to how this disorder originates, and how to create better treatments for patients. This theory however, does not solely hold excessive dopamine levels as an absolute and complete explanation for Schizophrenia. The ver activation of the D2 receptors seem to also be a widespread effect of abnormal chemical synapsis. This theory obtained further support during the mid-1970s when Creese made the connection that antipsychotic drugs had a significant ability to block dopamine D2 receptors (creese, Burt, snyder, 1976). METHAMPHETAMINES In recent decades Amphetamines, especially crystal meth, have become widely popular with the more deviant of our societies. There are of course many negative repercussions that affect ones health with the abuse of methamphetamines. The worst of which, is methamphetamines highly addictive properties. When dministered Methamphetamine at significant dosages, the drug becomes neurotoxic specifically to dopamine neurons (Cruickshank, Dyer, 2009). The connection wasnt made until 1966 when Rossum proposed that the hyperactivity of dopamine transmission could responsible for the disorder of Schizophrenia (Rossum, 1966). Rossum also looked back a few years and used Carlsson and Lindqvists research on mice, finding that dopamine plays an important role in the functioning of the extrapyramidal motor system (Carlsson, Lindqvist, 1963). In a study that reviewed hospital records of patients, that were diagnosed with drug dependence/abuse, and dmitted between 1990-2000, they found that people who were hospitalized for methamphetamines had 1. 5-3x more likely chance of being diagnosed at the end of the study with Schizophrenia (Wood, 2011). This statistic of diagnosis being up to 3x more likely to occur with meth use should alone be able to make the effects very noticeable. Since methamphetamines create an influx of dopamine levels, you can easily make the connection that dopamine and Schizophrenia are closely related. During an interview in 2004, Dr. Heather Keizer, a psychiatrist, referred to methamphetamine as the on switch for Schizophrenia (Cudworth, 2005). She also described how even after they (the clinicians) could get the patient cleaned up, and eliminate the drugs from their system but theyd still be psychotic. Often within the year she would diagnose them with Schizophrenia. Again this provides substantial evidence that methamphetamines effect on dopamine is responsible for numerous diagnosis of Schizophrenia. CANNABIS Cannabis has a similar affect on dopamine levels, in turn making it plausible to relate the use of the drug to Schizophrenia. The percentage of people who have been diagnosed Schizophrenia and make use of cannabis is higher than that of the eneral population (Lynch, Rabin, and George, 2012). A whopping 25% of patients with Schizophrenia can be diagnosed with either cannabis abuse or dependence. Information from several cohort studies provided addition evidence of dopamines link to Schizophrenia. Their findings showed that when compared to nonusers, people who used cannabis had a 40% more likely chance of psychosis. This risk was also dose-related, showing that psychotic symptoms had up to a 200% increased chance of appearing in users who made use of cannabis on the regular (Lynch, Rabin, and George, 2012). Again this goes to show that drugs affecting dopamine levels have a significantly obvious relation to an increase in diagnosis of Schizophrenia. If we look at the classical study, started in 1969 of a little more than 50,000 Swedish conscripts, we can have a glimpse at some of the more extreme links cannabis has to Schizophrenia. They found that if you used cannabis more than 50 times, you were nearly SEVEN times more likely to eventually develop Schizophrenia (Andreasson, Allebeck, and Rydberg, 1987). This statistic shows how even a small cannabis consumption can have adverse effects and has more than enough power to shock ny associate of mine that regularly uses cannabis; as well as making them prone to question thetr sanity. PHENOTHIAZINES Phenothiazines are the largest of the five 5 major classes of neuroleptic antipsychotic drugs. Theyre known for their antipsychotic properties and are often associated with severe side effects. These antipsychotics have been found to antagonize dopamine binding, specifically at the D2 dopamine receptors (Creese, Burt, and Snyder, 1976). This effect causes a reduction in the positive psychotic symptoms that people with Schizophrenia experience. So yet again you have a substance influencing Schizophrenia by affecting the brains dopamine receptors. These findings lead to the eventual usage of other antipsychotic classes that included drugs such as Haloperidol. Patients with Schizophrenia are almost always treated with a prescription of antipsychotics, and why is that? Because they work; and the reason they have been proven effective at combating the symptoms of Schizophrenia is because they influence and block dopamine receptors. Which of course helps support the legitimacy of the dopamine hypothesis. NEUROIMAGING Neuroimaging is used as a research tool to measure certain aspects of the brain nd specific mental functions. This comes in use when observing the effects of drugs on the brain. This method came about in the early 1980s and made many improvements on our knowledge of how substances affect our body. This came in use in providing evidence for the dopamine hypothesis, when it was used during a study done in 1986. By comparing neuroimages of a normalized control group to that of people diagnosed with Schizophrenia, they were able to indicate to effects of amphetamines on the brain. They found that people diagnosed with Schizophrenia had increased levels of dopamine, especially in the striatum, when compared to non- sychotic individuals Oacobs, Silverstone, 1986). These images prove that over activity of dopamine is directly linked to being diagnosed with Schizophrenia. CONCLUSION Schizophrenia is an extremely damaging disorder, in which psychologists still have much to learn about the etiology and treatments. In the United States alone, the disorder cost the country nearly $63 billion in 2002 (Wu Eq, 2002). In recent decades studies have conclusively shown that excessive activity in D2 receptors is definitely associated with the onset of Schizophrenia. Support for the dopamine hypothesis is idely shown and proved by studies done on illicit drug use, and the class of drugs called phenothiazines, as well as the development of neuroimaging help provide substantial evidence. With this vast amount of factual information, it is hard to argue against the legitimacy of the dopamine hypothesis. Lastly, the reoccurring motif that you should take home if you want to avoid becoming Schizophrenic is: Dont do drugs. WORKS CITED Cudworth, Laura. Crystal Meth and Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia. com. Schizophrenia Daily News Blog, 6 July 2005. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Wood, Janice. Heavvy Meth Use May Up Risk of Schizophrenia I Psych Central News. Psych Central. com. PsychCentral, 9 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Freeman, David. Methamphetamine Tied to Schizophrenia. Cbsnews. com. CBS News, 8 Nov. 011. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Comer, Ronald J. Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology. New York: Worth, 2014. Print. Keefe Eesly, 2012, Neurocognitive Impairments. J. A. Lieberman, T. S. Stroup, D. O. Perkins, Essentials of Schizophrenia. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5. 5th ed. Washington, D. C. : American Psyc hiatric Association, 2013. Print. Van Os, J. , and S. Kapur. Schizophrenia. NCBI. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2013. Voltaire. Goodreads. com. Goodreads, n. d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. Coon, D. Mitterer, 1. 0. (2007). Introduction to Psychology: Gateways to Mind and Behavior (1 lth ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Stages of Schizophrenia. Health. am. American Medical Network, 11 May 2009. Web. 25 Oct. 2013. Cannon TD, Cornblatt B, McGorry P. The empirical status of the ultra high-risk (prodromal) research paradigm. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 2007 Marshall M, Rathbone J. Early intervention for psychosis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006 Stafford MR, Jackson H, Mayo-Wilson E, Morrison AP, Kendall T. Early interventions to prevent psychosis: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical research ed. ). 2013 Jan 18 Clothing Consignment Program. Hugs Not Drugs. Web. 28 Oct. 2013. www. hugsnotdrugs. com Ustun TB. Multiple-informant Ranking Of the Disabling Effects Of Different Health Conditions in 14 Countries. The Lancet. 1999 Hor k, Taylor M. Suicide and schizophrenia: a systematic review of rates and risk factors.. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England). 2010 Nov. 24 American Psychiatric Association. Task Force on DSM-IV. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental isorders: DSM-IV-TR. American Psychiatric Pub. p. 304 Becker, T. , and R. Kilian. Psychiatric Services for People with Severe Mental Illness across Western Europe: What Can Be Generalized from Current Knowledge about Differences in Provision, Costs and Outcomes of Mental Health Care? onlinelibrarywiley. com. Wiley Online Library, 23 Jan. 2006. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. Tandon, R. , M. Keshavan, and H. Nasrallah. Schizophrenia, Just the Facts: What We Know in 2008Part 1 : Overview. Schizophrenia Research 100. 1-3 (2008): 4-19. Print. Side Effects of Medications for Schizophrenia I Psych Central. Psych Central. com. National Institute Of Mental Health, 2006. eb. 01 NOV. 2013. Picchtont MM, Murray RM. Schizophrenia. BMJ. 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2013. McLaren, Silins, and Hutchingson. Assessing Evidence For A Causal Link Between Cannabis and Psychosis. National Center for Biotechnology Information. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 21 Jan. 2010. Web. 01 Nov. 2013. Creese, Burt, and Snyder. Dopamine Receptor Binding Predicts Clinical and Pharmacological Potencies of An tischizophrenic Drugs. Sciencemag. org. Science AAAS, 30 Apr. 1976. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. Cruickshank, and Dyer. A Review Of the Clinical Pharmacology of Methamphetamine. National Center for Biotechnology Information. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. Carlsson A, Lindqvist M. Effect Of Chlorpromazine Or Haloperidol On Formation of 3Methoxytyramine and Normetanephrine In Mouse Brain. Acta Pharmacol Toxicol (Copenh) . 1963 Jan 1. Nov. 14. 2013. Rossum. Significance of Dopamine-receptor Blockade for the Mechanism of Action of Neuroleptic Drugs. PubMed. gov. U. S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 1966. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Abi-Dargham, and Grace. 20. Dopamine and Schizophrenia. Onlinelibrarywiley. com. Wiley Online Library, 8 Mar. 2011. Web. 04 Nov. 2013. Wu EQ. The economic burden of schizophrenia in the United States in 2002. J Clin Psychiatry. 14 Nov. 2013. Lynch, Rabin, and George. The Cannabis-psychosis Link. PsychiatricTimes. com. Psychiatric Times, 12 Jan. 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2013. Andreasson, Allebeck, and Rydberg. Cannabis and Schizophrenia. A Longitudinal Study of Swedish Conscripts. PubMed. gov. U. S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Dec. 1987. web. 05 NOV. 2013. Jacobs, D. , and T. Silverstone. Dextroamphetamine-induced Arousal in Human Subjects as a Model for Mania. Psychological Medicine 16. 02 (1986): 323. Print.

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A Good Essay is More than Just Five Paragraphs This year in College Writing one has been very interesting. I understand now that there is a lot more that goes into writing a paper than I first thought. I especially realize this when I look back at one of my first papers which was the descriptive essay titled, "The Hidden Truth." The first thing that pops into my mind when I look at this paper is my consideration of the kind of audience I had. I was assuming they were very or somewhat knowledgeable about the topic I chose. I realize this is not true now. This is the process that goes on in my mind when I first meet people. I think, for the audience I had, the main idea needed to be more concrete. As I went on in this class the kind of topics I chose got more & more concrete & audience consideration grew stronger in forming my papers. The second thing that I can determine about how my writing has changed since this first paper is my narrowing of focus. I've realized this is key to writing a good paper.In "The Hidden Truth," my writing jumps from one thing to the next and a lot of it is not tied back to the main idea. Yes, this was a descriptive essay but my descriptions seem to over ride my main focus. My papers have been getting more convincing since I've realized how important this is. Another important aspect of writing is order. I understand now that the same information in a paper arranged differently can make or break a paper. In my paper I just observed the people & figured the most logical order was chronological, starting with the youngest person & going to the oldest. I feel now that if I would have started with the oldest woman, it might have drawn my audience in more & seen what I was talking about early on instead of waiting until the end, after I've already lost their interest Word usage is also very important to papers.This is especially true in descriptive essays. I've learned how different words give us different feelings even if they have the same meaning.

Psychology and Yellow Bile Essay

1.Jack is a second-grade student. He seems to have no interest in learning, often daydreaming in class and frequently disrupting the class by throwing objects at other students. Describe how a biopsychosocial approach might provide both an integrated explanation of Jack’s classroom behavior and practical suggestions for helping Jack to cope more effectively with the challenges he faces. Jack is in second grade and is having a hard time behaving in school. Such as not paying attention and disrupting the class. Those two factors seem to play into integrated biopsychosocial. Biopsychosocial has three different elements to it: biological, psychological, and social-cultural. These three things can provide three different ways and reasons of why Jack is acting the way he is in class. An example of biological would be ADHD or ADD, which could be helped by a doctor prescribing him a medication. Psychological could have a lot to do with his acting out in class. He probably has the feeling he needs to fit in and find his group of friends. Psychological problems could be helped in many ways, but one that would really help Jack is possibly seeing a school Counselor. Last but not least, that deals with Jacks behavior is the social culture. This could also have something to do with his friends. His friends could be giving the impression they like him more or will be his friend if they act out. Once the staff and parents look into these three different elements and make changes, Jack will be on the right track again. 2.List and define the principal ways psychologists observe and describe behavior. When psychologists observe and describe behavior, they do it in a systematically, or showing many different methods. A few different methods are case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observation. Case studies are the oldest research method and studies one person in hoping to find the truth of ones problems. A survey though looks in a different angle than the case study. A survey asks many questions which go into detail about one’s behavior. The survey will also hopefully let them figure something out about themselves. The last method of how psychologists observe and describe behavior is naturalistic observations. Psychologists use this in natural environments and can provide research and answer questions. Naturalistic observations do not explain behavior but describes it, according to our book. 3.The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates believed that four basic body fluids (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm) influenced human behavior, emotions, and personality. Use your understanding of the body’s rapid and slow chemical communication systems to support or refute the general logic of Hippocrates’ theory. The ancient Green physician Hippocartes believed blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm, played a major role in human behavior, emotions, and personality. I don’t think blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm, have to do with anything controlling your human behavior, emotions, and personality. I believe your mood and what you are exactly going through that day make up why your human behavior, emotions, and personality are the way they are. Another reason why I don’t fully believe Hippocartes beliefs are because he had no actual proof of his reasoning. 4.Describe how an understanding of both a normally functioning brain and a split brain enables us to better appreciate the fact that most information processing takes place outside of conscious awareness. To fully understand the functioning of the brain and a split brain, we must first realize that most of our information we take in and store in our brain does take place without us realizing it. The split brain shows that both sides of the brain do not work together which gets in the way of putting information together. The normal brain does work together and does put information together. Whether it’s a normal brain or split brain, we are able to see the amazing things the brain does and how it works.

Gender Schema Theory Explained

Gender schema theory is a cognitive theory of gender development that says that gender is a product of the norms of one’s culture. The theory was originated  by psychologist Sandra Bem in 1981. It suggests that people process information, in part, based on gender-typed knowledge. Key Takeaways: Gender Schema Theory Gender schema theory proposes that children create cognitive schema of gender that they derive from the norms of their culture.The theory accounts for four gender categories, which can be measured with the Bem Sex Role Inventory: sex-typed, cross-sex typed, androgynous, and undifferentiated. Origins In her article introducing gender schema theory, Sandra Bem observed that the gender binary between male and female had become one of the basic organizational structures in human society. As a result, children are expected to learn about their culture’s conceptions of gender and incorporate those conceptions into their self-concept. Bem noted that many psychological theories speak to this process, including psychoanalytic theory and social learning theory. However, these theories don’t account for what is learned about gender and how it’s utilized when new information is encountered. It was this shortcoming that Bem sought to address with her theory. Bem’s approach to gender was also influenced by the cognitive revolution that took place in psychology in the 1960s and 1970s. Gender Schemas As children learn about gender-specific attributes, they form gender schemas. Children learn whatever gender schemas are available in their culture, including whatever divisions exist between the two sexes. These cognitive structures enable people to apply the subset of schemas that match their own sex to themselves, which influences their self-concept. In addition, their sense of adequacy may be based on their ability to live up to the appropriate gender schemas. Bem cautioned that gender schema theory was a theory of process. The theory does not account for the specific content of gender schemas, as they may differ between cultures. Instead, it focuses on the way people process and utilize the information their culture provides about masculinity and femininity. For example, a traditional culture may maintain strict divisions between men and women, such that women are expected to take care of the household and raise children while men work outside the home and support the family. Children raised in such a culture will develop gender schema in line with what they observe, and through their schema, will develop an understanding of what they can do as a boy or girl. Meanwhile, in a more progressive culture, the distinctions between men and women might be less obvious, such that children see both men and woman pursuing careers and dividing chores at home. Still, children will look for cues about the differences between men and women in these cultures. Perhaps they’ll notice that people respect powerful men but are dismissive of women who strive for power. This will impact children’s gender schema and their understanding of the way their culture views appropriate roles for men and women.   Gender Categories Bem’s theory suggests that people fall into one of four gender categories: Sex-typed individuals identify with the gender that corresponds to their physical sex. These individuals process and integrate information according to their schema for their gender.Cross-sex typed individuals process and integrate information according to their schema for the opposite gender.Androgynous individuals process and integrate information based on their schema for both genders.Undifferentiated individuals have difficulty processing information based on any gender schema. Bem Sex Role Inventory In 1974, Bem created an instrument to place people into the four gender categories called the Bem Sex Role Inventory. The scale presents 60 attributes, such as assertive or tender, that respondents rate based on how well each attribute describes them.  Twenty of the attributes correspond to a culture’s idea of masculinity, twenty correspond to the culture’s idea of femininity, and the final twenty are neutral. Individuals are scored on masculinity and femininity on a continuum. If they score above the mid-point on the scale that conforms to their sex and below it on the scale that doesn’t conform to their sex, they fall into the sex-typed gender category. The opposite is true for cross-sex typed individuals. Meanwhile, androgynous individuals score above the mid-point on both scales and undifferentiated individuals score below the mid-point on both scales. Gender Stereotypes Bem didn’t directly address gender stereotypes or discrimination based on noncomformity to gender schema in her theory. However, she did question society’s over-reliance on gender distinctions. Thus, research by other scholars on gender schema theory has investigated the ways gender stereotypes are communicated in society. For example, studies have explored the way children’s coloring books communicate gender stereotypes and how these stereotypes may influence children’s gender schema and cause them to conform to gender stereotypes. Gender schemas and the gender stereotypes incorporated into them enable people to understand the social difficulties they may encounter if they fail to conform to their culture’s gender norms. For example, a man who cries at a wedding may be mocked for being less masculine, while a woman who does the same is thought to be exhibiting gender-appropriate behavior. Meanwhile, a woman who speaks forcefully during a company meeting may be seen as bossy or too emotional by her employees, but a man who does the same is considered authoritative and in control. Critiques Gender schema theory provides a useful framework for understanding how knowledge structures of gender are formed, however it has not avoided all criticism. One weakness of the theory is that it fails to account for the ways biology or social interactions impact gender development. In addition, the content of gender schema remains unclear. While the theory is meant to account for the process—not the content—of these schema, its difficult to measure schema with no understanding of their content. Finally, cognitive schemas about gender have been shown to predict thinking, attention, and memory, but they are less predictive of behavior. Therefore, one’s gender schema may not match the behavior one exhibits. Sources Bem, Sandra Lipsitz. â€Å"Gender Schema Theory: A Cognitive Account of Sex Typing.† Psychological Review, vol. 88, no. 4, 1981, pp. 354-364. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.88.4.354Cherry, Kendra. â€Å"Gender Schema Theory and Roles in Culture.† Verywell Mind, 14 March 2019. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-gender-schema-theory-2795205Martin, Carol Lynn, Diana N. Ruble, and Joel Szkrybaio. â€Å"Cognitive Theories of Early Gender Development.† Psychological Bulletin, vol. 128, no. 6, 2002, pp. 903-933. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.128.6.903â€Å"Sandra Bem’s Gender Schema Theory Explained.† Health Research Funding. https://healthresearchfunding.org/sandra-bems-gender-schema-theory-explained/Starr, Christine R., and Eileen L. Zurbiggen. â€Å"Sandra Bem’s Gender Schema Theory After 34 Years: A Review of Its Reach and Impact.† Sex Role: A Journal of Research, vol. 76, no. 9-10, 2017, pp. 566-578. http://dx.doi.org/10.100 7/s11199-016-0591-4