Rosenhan (1973) - Experiment 1

Question 1

What was the first aim of Rosenhan’s experiment?

Answer 1

To test the hypothesis that psychiatrists cannot reliably tell the differences between people who are sane and those that are insane, so to answer the question “can the sane be distinguished from the insane?”

Question 2

What was the second aim of Rosenhan’s experiment?

Answer 2

To investigate whether diagnosis of mental illness is invalid and affected by observer bias, causing clinicians to see behaviours as symptomatic of an underlying disorder rather than something that arises in a certain context.

Question 3

What was the third aim of Rosenhan’s experiment?

Answer 3

To highlight the negative effects of being diagnosed as abnormal and institutionalised.

Question 4

What was the sample?

Answer 4

12 different hospitals across five states in the USA. They had varying funds, recourses, staff-patient ratios and whether they were private or state controlled also varied.

Question 5

What was the method?

Answer 5

Experimental design using covert, participant observation techniques.

Question 6

What was the independent variable?

Answer 6

Symptoms displayed to psychiatrist

Question 7

What was the dependant variable?

Answer 7

Admission to hospital

Question 8

What was the procedure?

Answer 8

Pseudo patients of varying backgrounds such as 3 psychologists, a painter etc. 5 were men, 3 were women and one had any recorded issues of mental health. Each pseudo patient adopted a fake identity and dispatched to different hospitals. Each pseudo patient telephoned the hospital for an appointment, on arriving they complained of hearing “empty, hollow and thud” voices. Other than this, the fake names and occupations they were instructed to tell the truth. None of their stories were abnormal. Immediately upon admission to the ward, the pseudo patients ceased simulating and symptoms of abnormality. The participants then had to get themselves discharged. Once on the ward, the recorded notes on the things they observed, these were at first done in secret but once they found out no one cared they were at first done in secret but once they found out no one cared they were made publicly

Question 9

What were the results of Aim 1?

Answer 9

• ## All the pseudo patients were admitted - 7 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and the other was given a label of manic psychosis.