David Rosenhan · 1973
Rosenhan Experiment
Can healthy people get into a mental hospital? 8 faked it, got in, and couldn't get out for 19 days.
Methodology
Fake Patients:
• 8 normal people (Psychologists, painters, etc)
Plan:
• Say "I hear voices: empty, hollow, thud"
• Once admitted, act completely normal
• Say "I'm fine now"
Findings
Results:
• 100% Admitted (Schizophrenia)
• Avg stay: 19 days (7-52 days)
• Discharged as "Schizophrenia in remission" (Not sane)
Irony:
• Doctors fooled
• Real patients suspected: "You're a journalist!"
Labeling:
• Normal writing = "Writing behavior"
• Queueing early = "Oral acquisitive syndrome"
Significance
Psychiatry Shook:
• Tightened DSM criteria
• Proved labeling theory
• Context determines diagnosis