AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The study suggests that once the patients were labelled, the label stuck. Everything they did or said was interpreted as typical of a schizophrenic (or manic depressive) patient. This means that the situation that the pseudopatients were in had a powerful impact on the way that they were judged.

Detailed explanation-2: -The study concluded “it is clear that we cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals” and also illustrated the dangers of dehumanization and labeling in psychiatric institutions.

Detailed explanation-3: -Rosenhan’s famous study attempted to demonstrate the unreliable nature of psychiatric diagnosis in the 1970s and how poorly patients were treated in psychiatric hospitals. While his methods were a little suspect, the study seemed to make the point Rosenhan was hoping for.

Detailed explanation-4: -Still, Rosenhan’s conclusions were stark: People feigning mental illness all gained admission to psychiatric units and, after they stopped faking symptoms, remained there for lengthy periods. He famously wrote, “It is clear that we cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals."