According to labeling theory, why were none of the pseudopatients in David Rosenhan's "On Being Sane in Insane Places" discovered?
A) They all were really mentally ill, at least to some extent.
B) They were too "clean-cut" to be considered mentally ill.
C) They were well coached in the symptoms real patients would experience.
D) Psychiatry is not a real science.
E) Once a person has been labeled "mentally ill," it is very hard for anyone to see past the label.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to labeling theory, once a person has been labeled "mentally ill," it is very hard for anyone to see past the label. In other words, the pseudopatients were not discovered because they were already labeled as "mentally ill" and the staff were not able to see them as anything but patients. Therefore, option E is the correct answer.

According to Labeling Theory, Why Were None of the Pseudopatients