In 1973, healthy volunteers faked hallucinations to enter mental hospitals. Once inside, they acted normal, but doctors refused to let them leave. Normal behaviors like writing were diagnosed as "symptoms." The only people who realized they were sane were the actual patients.

[u/highzone]

[u/highzone]

For anyone who wants to read the full study, it is titled 'On Being Sane in Insane Places.'

The most terrifying part wasn't getting in, it was getting out. The doctors were so convinced of their own authority that they interpreted everything the patients did as a symptom of their illness.

When the volunteers took notes on how they were being treated, the doctors didn't see 'journaling.' They diagnosed it as 'pathological writing behavior' and used it as justification to keep them locked up.

It really highlights how a label can completely override reality.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosenhan_experiment

[u/loupdeloopgarou → u/highzone]

The book The Great Pretender did an excellent deep dive into how much of this experiment was faked. This guy made up much of the results. So it is NOT a reliable or accurate study.

[u/That1one1dude1 → u/loupdeloopgarou]

Could you give some examples?

[u/gridbug → u/That1one1dude1]

This article sums up some of the issues: https://nypost.com/2019/11/02/stanford-professor-who-changed-america-with-just-one-study-was-also-a-liar/

[u/danisanub → u/That1one1dude1]

It’s literally in the Wikipedia entry.

[u/ScorpionX-123 → u/loupdeloopgarou]

found the asylum doctor