Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, July 12, 2026
Following his initial study, David Rosenhan conducted a second experiment where hospital staff were warned that pseudopatients might be admitted. Staff were asked to rate incoming patients on a scale to identify potential fakers. During a three-month period, 41 out of 193 patients were rated as likely healthy, demonstrating a shift in diagnostic behavior when biases were directly addressed.
“He told hospital staff that one or more pseudopatients would be admitted to their care.”
“If a person was rated one or two, the staff believed that they were likely a pseudopatient and were healthy.”
“During this period, the staff reported that 41 of the 193 admitted patients received a score of one to two, accounting for 21% of all patients.”