Two Clinicians Are Asked to Diagnose a Patient Who Shows

question 58

Multiple Choice

Two clinicians are asked to diagnose a patient who shows symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) . The patient does not show any visible forms of 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 diagnosis.
• 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:

Puritan

Members of a group of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to "purify" the Church of England from its "Catholic" practices.

Puritan Leaders

Influential individuals within the Puritan community, who were part of a religious reform movement seeking to "purify" the Church of England in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Indians

Indigenous peoples of the Americas, also known as Native Americans, with diverse cultures, languages, and histories pre-dating European colonization.

Family Structure

The composition and organization of a family unit, including the relationships and roles of its members, varying widely across cultures and contexts.