David Rosenhan argues that misdiagnosis is particularly a problem for psychologists, as a diagnosis of a mental illness is as influential on the patient as it is on her relatives and friends. It should not surprise anyone that the diagnosis acts as a(n):
A) act of tertiary deviance.
B) sign of structural strain.
C) gesture of passing.
D) part of the emotional foreground.
E) self-fulfilling prophecy.

Question

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Rosenhan argues that a diagnosis of a mental illness can act as a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the patient's behavior conforms to the expectations of the diagnosis, potentially leading to unnecessary treatment or institutionalization.

David Rosenhan Argues That Misdiagnosis Is Particularly a Problem for Psychologists