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:

Cognitive Therapy

A form of psychotherapy that focuses on changing unhelpful or distressing thoughts and behaviors.

Growth-Impeding

Factors or conditions that hinder or slow down the natural development or enlargement of an organism, system, or process.

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic approach that explores unconscious drives and conflicts, originated by Sigmund Freud.

Insight Therapy

A form of psychotherapy that aims to increase a patient's awareness of underlying motives and defenses to improve mental health.