Psychology
Classic study: Rosenhan (1973) On being sane in insane places
Background and Context of the Study
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Background and Context of the Study
Background and Context of the Study
- In the early 1970s, the validity of psychiatric diagnoses was a contentious issue; David Rosenhan sought to contribute to this debate.
- Rosenhan's study intended to test the hypothesis that psychiatrists cannot reliably tell the difference between people who are 'sane' and those who are 'insane'.
- His study was a response to the medical model of mental illness, which posited that mental illnesses are akin to physical illnesses.
- According to this model, mental illnesses have specific symptoms and can be diagnosed and treated systematically.
- However, Rosenhan argued that diagnosis of mental illnesses was often flawed and unreliable, pointing out the subjectivity involved in judgments of mental health.
- His study was influenced by Labelling theory, highlighting the long-lasting effects of being labelled 'insane'.
- His approach was also influenced by anti-psychiatry movement, which argued against the traditional medical approach to treating mental illness.
- The study occurred at a time when there was increasing criticism of psychiatric institutions for violation of patient's rights and poor treatment conditions.
The Study Itself and Its Findings
- Rosenhan conducted an experiment where 'pseudo-patients' feigned auditory hallucinations in order to be admitted to psychiatric hospitals.
- Once admitted, the pseudo-patients behaved normally, but found it difficult to be discharged because their normal behaviour was interpreted as a symptom of their supposed mental illness.
- This led Rosenhan to conclude that psychiatric labels were sticky and difficult to remove, which could lead to harmful self-fulfilling prophecies.
- Rosenhan's study had profound implications for how psychiatry was understood and practiced, and catalysed changes in diagnostic practices and patient care.
Methodological Approach
- Rosenhan employed a participant observation method, which allowed him to obtain data from inside the psychiatric hospitals.
- Pseudo-patients were given the task to get themselves admitted into psychological hospitals by claiming to hear voices.
- Once inside, they were instructed to behave as they normally would and to insist that they no longer heard voices.
- Rosenhan's use of participant observation enabled him to challenge the validity of psychiatric diagnoses by showing how normal behaviours can be pathologised under the label of 'insanity'.
