What is the background of the study of psychology? - BulletPoints 1

• The three fundamental ideas of psychology come down to: Behavior and mental experiences have physical causes that can be studied scientifically; the way people behave, feel and think is shaped over time by their experiences in their environment; the body produces behavior and mental experiences, and is a product of evolution through natural selection.
• According to Descartes, the difference between humans and animals was the mind. He defined thoughts as conscious considerations and judgments. He suggested that the soul influences the body in a specific place: a small organ (pineal body) located between the two hemispheres of the brain. Descartes argued that thread-like structures bring sensory information through physical pathways to the brain (we now know as nerves or neurons). The soul receives the information and processes this information. On the basis of thoughts, the soul will then let movements take place and carry out its will by triggering physical actions in nerves that in turn act on the muscles. This opened the door to psychology as a science.
• Materialism was developed by Thomas Hobbes and included that the soul is a meaningless concept that consists of nothing but matter and energy. Hobbes argued that conscious thoughts are a product of the brain and therefore subject to natural laws. This philosophy does not impose any limitations on what people want to study in psychology.
• Darwin’s idea is that living things evolve gradually over generations through the process of natural selection. The individuals that are best adapted to their environments, are more likely to survive and reproduce than those less well-adapted to their environments.  Random changes in genetics happen within each generation.

In and out of schizophrenia: activation and deactivation of the negative and positive schemas – Article 1

Schizophrenia has positive and negative symptoms that are both analysed using a traditional cognitive model. The model exists of the cognitive triad: schemas about self, world and the future. When interventions are made, they should target the meaning behind both positive and negative symptoms. However, in the current system, the content for both symptoms is similar. The view of the self is weak, vulnerable, ineffective and worthless. The view of others as controlling, dangerous and rejecting.

What are cognitive schemas?

Cognitive schemas are responsible for cognitive organization. The content originates from the cognitive triad. If schemas interfere with accommodation in life situations, they are called dysfunctional. If schemas are extreme of fantastic, they are called delusional.

How do cognitive schemas affect symptoms of schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia can develop due to a genetic predisposition in combination with the development of negative thoughts and stressful life-events. These negative thoughts become embedded into cognitive schemas and a person can develop negative symptoms, such as withdrawal, violence and isolation. On the other hand, positive symptoms can come from dysfunctional symptoms and get transformed into delusions. These symptoms start with an overstimulation of the HPA axis which leads to an excessive output of cortisol. That leads to an overflow of dopamine and the development of hallucinations.

Motivation is one of the main factors in developing negative symptoms. There are two ways that motivation affects the symptoms, in belief and expression.

1. Factor 1 of negative symptoms: amotivation factor. This symptom comes from a dysfunctional belief about the self. The self-image is focused on weakness, worthless and helplessness. To avoid pain and frustration, symptoms like avoidance and distancing arise. It is possible to get above these thoughts, for example when