Rosenhan 1973 Study - Clinical Psychology

Study Overview

Aim: Investigate whether sane individuals can be distinguished from the insane.
Design: Field experiment using independent groups.
- Independent Variable: Schizophrenic symptoms displayed by pseudopatients.
- Dependent Variable: Diagnostic label assigned.
- Method: Participant observation.

Pseudopatients faked auditory hallucinations (e.g., feeling "empty," hearing "thud" or "hollow").
Used false names and jobs but truthful personal histories.
All but one diagnosed with schizophrenia; one with manic depression.
Once admitted, pseudopatients acted normally and observed staff treatment.
Secretly disposed of medication given.

None of the pseudopatients were detected by hospital staff.
Hospitalization lasted 7 to 52 days (average 19 days).
35 of 118 real patients suspected pseudopatients were faking.
Normal behaviors were misinterpreted as signs of mental illness:
- Note-taking labeled as "writing behavior."
- Walking in corridors seen as nervousness.
- Waiting early for lunch interpreted as an "oral acquisitive syndrome."
Minimal interaction with staff:
- Nurses spent 90% of time in their offices.
- Average staff-patient interaction less than 7 minutes/day.
- 70% of pseudopatients ignored, 23% received eye contact, 2% received verbal responses.
Common experiences of powerlessness and depersonalization:
- Lack of rights, privacy, and engagement.
- Verbal and physical mistreatment reported.

Standardized Procedure: High reliability due to identical training for pseudopatients.
Generalizability: Varied hospital types and locations enhance findings' generalizability.
Reliability: Consistent findings across multiple hospitals.

Validity Issues: Diagnoses based on classic schizophrenia symptoms make misdiagnosis unsurprising.
- In a follow-up study, pre-warned hospitals mistakenly suspected real patients as fakes.
Ethical Issues: Deception and potential harm due to pseudopatients occupying space for real patients.

Supporting:
- Laurence Stein (2004): Similar misdiagnosis in nine emergency rooms, supporting Rosenhan's findings.
Contradicting:
- Spitzer et al. (2005): Many psychiatrists ruled out psychotic behavior, arguing Rosenhan's exaggeration.

Diagnosis influenced by context; behaviors interpreted according to expectations.
Diagnostic processes deemed unreliable; psychiatric labels can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.

Note: Always check the relevance of this study to your specific exam board requirements.