Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using virtual reality to treat schizophrenia. You should include a conclusion in your answer.
Marks: Question requires discussion; always plural of each argument, and always requires conclusion.
1 mark for each advantage/disadvantage (however detailed) and related to the question up to 4 max.
1 mark for two strengths/weaknesses unrelated to the question.
1 mark for conclusion.
Most likely answer (other appropriate responses to be credited):
Strengths:
· controls the environment allowing a range of situations and settings to be investigated
· ensures patients with psychosis are not making up situations and symptoms
· treatment can be conducted in a safe environment for both patient (and public)
· has many uses. Freeman lists 7 uses: symptom assessment, identification of symptom markers, establishment of predictive factors, tests of putative causal factors, investigation of the differential prediction of symptoms, determination of toxic elements in the environment, and development of treatment.
Weaknesses:
· may have side effects such as simulator sickness – dizziness, nausea, headache and eyestrain
· VR cannot establish truth of claims underlying suspicious thought (but neither can any method)
· VR is only as good as the programmers ability to write an appropriate programme;
· a programme may only apply generally and not be tailor-made for the needs of specific individuals.
Conclusion: any appropriate conclusion drawn from the discussion that has been presented. 1 mark if appropriate. A conclusion is a ‘decision reached by reasoning’ and so a summary of points already made scores