Over 50 years of research has not produced a totally effective prevention or cure. Perhaps this is because research has also failed to uncover any definite cause. At present we have only a number of unproved and conflicting theories to go on.
Many theories stress unfavorable social and emotional experiences as the probable cause.
In particular the schizophrenic may have been the victim of harmful family influences or faulty child-rearing practices during his formative years. Other researchers see schizophrenia as a physical disease of the nervous system. Certain forms of mental retardation are known to be passed on genetically. Perhaps the same thing could be true of schizophrenia. Actually, we will be simulating a field survey rather than a lab experiment.