Two Clinicians Are Asked to Diagnose a Patient Who Shows

question 44

Multiple Choice

Two clinicians are asked to diagnose a patient who shows symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. The first clinician believes that depression is an important cause of OCD and so does not diagnose the patient with OCD. The second clinician believes that depression is a by-product of OCD but not a root cause. Therefore, she diagnoses the patient as having OCD. This example illustrates that

• A) our beliefs and background knowledge influence how we categorize things.
• B) clinicians are often mistaken in their diagnoses.
• C) theories are often fallible and so should not be depended on in many situations.
• D) theories are not involved when placing a test case into a particular category.

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Definitions:

Locke

John Locke was an English philosopher and physician regarded as one of the most influential of Enlightenment thinkers, known for his contributions to political theory and epistemology.

Rousseau

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer of the 18th century, known for his influential works on philosophy, education, and political theory.

Baseline Principles

Fundamental guidelines or norms that serve as a starting point for further development or evaluation.

Distributive Justice

The ethical concept concerning the fair distribution of resources and wealth among all members of a society.