Rosenhan Flashcards
classic study
what is the background?
was inspired by the anti-psychiatry movement and wanted to challenge the diagnostic system for mental health.
what was the aim?
aimed to investigate the reliability of the staff in the psychiatric hospitals to identify the sane from the insane.
he wanted to see if people who posed as mentally ill would be identified by staff in psychiatric hospitals as sane rather than insane.
who were the confederates?
8 pseudo-patients - 5 male and 3 female.
what was the sample? (hospital information)
12 hospitals located in 5 different states on the east and west coasts of the USA.
what happened when each pseudo called the admissions office?
the pseudo complained that he had been hearing voices - “empty”, “hollow”, “thud”
once admitted they had to…
cease simulating any symptoms of abnormality.
length of hospital stay?
7-52 days, average of 19 days
what was the average time spent out of the ‘cage’?
nurses only left ‘cage’ around 11.5 times per day -neglection of patients
why is labelling seen as a problem?
once someone is labelled with a mental disorder it cannot be reversed, so labelled individuals could receive different treatment
what did Rosenhan conclude?
there are validity issues with diagnosis of mental health as the hospital staff were unable to distinguish between the ‘sane and insane’
