Rosenhan's Study (Clinical Psychology) Flashcards
What was the Title of Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
On being sane in insane places
What was the Aim of Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
To answer the question “can the sane be distinguished from the insane?” David Rosenhan challenged the diagnostic system; putting the individuals self-reporting being the source of the symptoms compared to the environmental context in which the symptoms arose.
Who were the pseudopatients used in Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
8 pseudopatients 1 psychologist 3 psych graduates 1 psychiatrist 1 housewife 1 painter 1 pediatrician
What was the Procedure of Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
The 8 pseudpatients called 12 institutes across America; reporting to hear voices saying “empty” “hollow” and “thud”. They were all went under different names to protect their identity They recorded their experiences by taking notes
What happened to the pseudopatients whilst in the hospital during Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
Whilst in the hospital; they had to try to convince the staff of their sanity, in order to be let go. Their sanity was never detected by the staff, and they were discharged with a diagnosis of ‘schizophrenia in remission’ 7 out of 8 were diagnosed with schizophrenia, and 1 with manic depression with psychosis All stayed for an average of 19 days; ranging from 9 days to 52.
What did the patients think about the pseudpatients whilst they were in the institution in Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
Many patients suspected the pseudopatients were fake. One even asked if the researcher was a journalist
How did the staff treat the pseudopatients in Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
The staff treated normal behaviour as symptoms consistent of diagnosis (e.g. note-taking was referred to as ‘writing behaviour’) Patients were dehumanised by staff - when contact was initiated between the pseudopatients and nurses, they were ignored 71% of the time.
What was the follow up experiment in Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
Rosenhan tested one leading hospital to a similar study - they were asked to spot the pseudopatients Of 193 admitted over the next 3 months, 41 were thought to be fake by at least one staff member, and 19 by two Rosenhan sent none.
What was the Conclusion of Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
There is unreliability in the diagnostic process. The diagnostic label changed the perspective of the person, so that all of their behaviour was interpreted within the context of the diagnosis.
What were the Strengths of Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
G: The pseudopatients were both male and female G: The hospitals used included old, new, public + private hospitals; which is representative to an extent R: The pseudopatients claimed to hear voices saying “empty”, “hollow” and “thud”, which is a standardised procedure E.V: The environment was a real life hospital; and the doctors + nurses’ behaviour was natural.
What were the Weaknesses of Rosenhan’s (1973) study?
G: There was a small sample size of 8 pesudopatients G: They only used American institutions I.V: They weren’t able able to control any extraneous variables, and Rosenhan wasn’t able to control anything because he wasn’t there, meaning it wasn’t internally valid. I.V: The pseudopatients claimed to have symptoms they did not, which would not usually occur in real life
What ethical guidelines did Rosenhan’s (1973) study break?
P: They were kept in the mental hospital for up to 52 days, even though they were mentally sane. There was no way of controlling it; anything could’ve happened P: The doctors had to spend time with the pseudopatients, meaning thy spent less time with the real patients; reducing the quality of their treatment W: They couldn’t withdraw from/ leave the hospital I: No informed consent was gained from hospitals prior to the initial experiment D: The doctors were deceived by pseudopatients, as they believed they were real patients D: There was no formal debrief, even though he wrote abut it in the book
What Application did Rosenhan’s (1973) study have?
The study led to improvements in the psychiatry system, as well as the DSM being made multiaxial, thereby having application to society
