Lesson 4.3.5.2

4.3.5.2 Biological and psychological explanations for schizophrenia Quiz: AQA Psychology, Unit 3

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.3.5.2, Biological and psychological explanations for schizophrenia: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA Psychology (7182), Unit 3: Issues and options in Psychology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia?

    • The idea that schizophrenia is caused entirely by a single gene on chromosome 22
    • The idea that excess dopamine activity in certain brain pathways is involved in the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
    • The idea that schizophrenia is caused by a lack of serotonin in all brain regions
    • The idea that dopamine has no role in psychological disorders

  2. Which evidence supports the dopamine hypothesis?

    • Dopamine levels are identical in people with and without schizophrenia
    • Serotonin-only drugs reliably cause hallucinations in healthy adults
    • Amphetamines, which increase dopamine activity, can produce psychotic-like symptoms
    • Dopamine has never been measured in the brain

  3. What does the genetic explanation of schizophrenia suggest?

    • Schizophrenia is caused only by poor diet during childhood
    • Schizophrenia is never inherited and always results from social factors
    • Schizophrenia is more common among relatives of people with the disorder, and concordance is higher among identical twins
    • Schizophrenia is equally common among all people, regardless of their relatives

  4. What do twin studies show about schizophrenia concordance?

    • Concordance is the same in identical and non-identical twins
    • Concordance is zero in all twin pairs
    • Concordance is higher in identical twins than in non-identical twins, though it is not 100%
    • Concordance is 100% in identical twins in every study

  5. Which neural correlate is often reported in people with schizophrenia?

    • Absence of any measurable brain difference
    • Excess serotonin in the cerebellum only
    • Greater grey matter volume in all cortical areas
    • Enlarged ventricles in the brain

  6. What is a neural correlate in schizophrenia research?

    • A social factor that prevents the disorder from developing
    • A brain structure or activity pattern that is associated with the disorder
    • A chemical that causes the disorder directly
    • A psychological test used to assess the disorder

  7. Why is it difficult to establish that genes alone cause schizophrenia?

    • Genes can only be measured in adults after the disorder has appeared
    • Genes are never linked to any mental disorder
    • Twin studies are always carried out without any comparison group
    • Concordance in identical twins is not 100%, so environmental factors must also play a role

  8. What does family dysfunction refer to in psychological explanations of schizophrenia?

    • A family that has no contact with the wider community
    • A family in which all members share the same genes
    • Patterns of communication in families that may increase stress, such as high expressed emotion or double-bind messages
    • A family that always gets along and has no conflicts

  9. What is expressed emotion in relation to schizophrenia?

    • The facial expression a person shows during a laboratory test
    • Levels of criticism, hostility and emotional over-involvement shown by family members towards the person
    • The emotional expression of a person when they are alone
    • The degree to which a person enjoys social activities

  10. What is a double bind in family communication?

    • Contradictory messages from a parent that cannot be resolved, leaving the person unable to respond appropriately
    • A message that is given in writing as well as in speech
    • A message that is repeated twice to ensure it is understood clearly
    • A family rule that prevents any discussion of emotional topics

  11. Which cognitive explanation for schizophrenia is most often proposed?

    • Lack of exposure to music during development
    • Dysfunctional thought processing, such as jumping to conclusions and reasoning errors
    • Reduced height in childhood
    • Excess serotonin in the cerebellum

  12. What is meant by 'jumping to conclusions' in the cognitive explanation of schizophrenia?

    • Reaching conclusions only after very long reflection
    • Moving quickly from one room to another during a test
    • Concluding that a test is too easy without trying it
    • Reaching a firm decision on the basis of too little evidence

  13. Which evaluation of the dopamine hypothesis is most appropriate?

    • It has been completely confirmed and explains every symptom of schizophrenia
    • It has been disproved by all studies of drug treatment
    • It has no evidence at all because dopamine is not present in the brain
    • It has strong supporting evidence from drug studies, but it cannot fully explain all symptoms or why some people respond differently

  14. Why are biological explanations of schizophrenia criticised?

    • They never use any scientific evidence
    • They may underplay the role of environmental and psychological stress, such as family communication and life events
    • They are only concerned with social explanations
    • They are always supported by equal evidence from all groups

  15. Which of these is a psychological explanation of schizophrenia?

    • A single gene variant on chromosome 22
    • Family dysfunction with high expressed emotion
    • Excess dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway
    • Enlarged ventricles visible on a brain scan

  16. A study finds that people with schizophrenia who live with high levels of criticism from family members are more likely to relapse. What does this best support?

    • The role of expressed emotion as a psychological factor in schizophrenia
    • The idea that schizophrenia has no psychological component
    • The view that dopamine is unrelated to symptoms
    • The genetic explanation alone, with no role for family

  17. Which statement best describes the relationship between genetics and environment in schizophrenia?

    • Genetics and environment are unrelated to schizophrenia
    • The environment alone determines schizophrenia, and genes have no role
    • Genetic vulnerability and environmental triggers interact, so neither alone is sufficient to explain the disorder
    • Genetics alone determine whether schizophrenia develops in every person

  18. A researcher finds that dopamine blockers reduce hallucinations in patients. What does this suggest?

    • Hallucinations are caused by excess serotonin only
    • Dopamine activity may be involved in producing the hallucinations
    • Hallucinations are unrelated to any drug treatment
    • Dopamine has no role in hallucinations

  19. Which evaluation of the biological explanation of schizophrenia is most appropriate?

    • It is fully proven by correlation alone, so no further research is needed
    • It is supported by genetic and neural evidence, but correlations and drug effects cannot prove causation on their own
    • It has no support from any scientific study
    • It shows that schizophrenia is caused by social rewards only

  20. Why are antipsychotic drugs used as evidence for the dopamine hypothesis?

    • Because drugs that block dopamine receptors have no effect on any symptoms at all
    • Because antipsychotics increase serotonin, which proves that dopamine is irrelevant
    • Because antipsychotics are only given to people who have never experienced hallucinations
    • Because drugs that block dopamine receptors reduce positive symptoms, which suggests dopamine activity contributes to them

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