Interaction between Human Culture and Environment In the mid-1970s and early 1980s, the field of clinical psychology underwent a revolution with the emergence of family therapy. Initially, therapists believed that disorders were the result of a linear chain of causality. For example, one theory of schizophrenia held that the disorder was the result of exposure to a certain pattern of behavior by the patient's mother. The mothers of schizophrenics have often proved to be particularly cold, insensitive, dominant and conflictual towards their children. The researchers argued that such "schizophrenogenic" behavior was the direct cause of the disorder. Effective treatment, therefore, required that the patient and mother examine their relationship and seek better, more positive methods of interaction. Family therapists, however, then began to realize that the etiology of the disorder was much more complex than just the mother inducing the disorder. disorder in the child. The schizophrenic and his mother were entangled in a complex system of interactions both inside and outside the family. Thus, the schizophrenic was influenced by both his mother and his father, the schizophrenic himself had an impact on his parents, the father and mother influenced each other through their marital relationship, and social and cultural norms had an overall impact on all family members. . Family systems researchers realized that these various relationships were constantly changing and that each had a significant effect on the others. Problems within the family were now understood in terms of circular rather than linear causality. For example, it may well be true that the schizophrenic's mother is cold, confrontational, and insensitive towards him. It is also true, however, that schizophrenics exhibit very bizarre behaviors, such as hearing voices, acting on paranoid impulses, having hallucinations, and displaying inappropriate (or flat) emotional responses. These behaviors would definitely affect the mother, as she would be stressed and deeply concerned about her child's well-being. The mother may also be affected by a strained marital relationship with her husband, which in turn may be negatively affected by the child's schizophrenic behavior. Finally, the family may be negatively influenced by the society in which they live, as their neighbors or colleagues may see them as marginalized and purposely isolate them due to their child's inappropriate behavior. Ultimately, this series of negative interactions can result in a vicious cycle in which maladaptive behavior is amplified and the child's schizophrenic behavior worsens...