A psychologist conducts an experiment in which he and another sane individual fake symptoms and are admitted to a psychiatric hospital.They immediately start behaving normally, but it takes a long time for them to be released.The most probable explanation for the delay was
A)that they actually had underlying psychological disorders.
B)the psychiatric personnel had a perceptual set and expected insane behaviors.
C)they were really behaving in an insane manner although they did not realize it.
D)they had difficulty seeing a therapist or a psychiatric nurse.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This phenomenon is known as the Rosenhan experiment, which demonstrated that psychiatric personnel tend to have a perceptual set to interpret ordinary behaviors as symptoms of psychiatric disorders. This perceptual set can lead to delays in releasing individuals from the hospital, even after they have stopped displaying any abnormal behaviors. Therefore, the most probable explanation for the delay in the experiment was the perceptual set of the staff.

A Psychologist Conducts an Experiment in Which He and Another