"In 1972, David Rosenhan, a newly minted psychologist with a joint degree in law, called eight friends and said something like, "Are you busy next month? Would you have time to fake your way into a mental hospital and see what happens?"

When David Rosenhan first presented to the psychiatrist he complained of a voice in his head that simply said 'thud'. After some simple test he was admitted and kept in the institution for weeks, despite immediately telling his doctor that the voice had now disappeared. How could it be so simple to fool a professional? Back in 1972 Rosenhan's report of his experiences scandalised the psychiatric profession.

Inspired by Rosenhan, psychologist Lauren Slater repeated the experiment recently and her conclusions were only marginally less disturbing.

A summary of Rosenhan's research. Rosenhan's original article in full. Review of Lauren Slater's book.

Making Habits, Breaking Habits

In his new book, Jeremy Dean--psychologist and author of PsyBlog--looks at how habits work, why they are so hard to change, and how to break bad old cycles and develop new healthy, creative, happy habits.

→ "Making Habits, Breaking Habits", is available now on Amazon.

Reviews
The Bookseller, “Editor’s Pick,” 10/12/12 “Sensible and very readable…By far the most useful of this month’s New You offerings.”

Kirkus Reviews, 1/1/13 “Making changes does take longer than we may expect—no 30-day, 30-pounds-lighter quick fix—but by following the guidelines laid out by Dean, readers have a decent chance at establishing fulfilling, new patterns.”

Publishers Weekly, 12/10/12 “An accessible and informative guide for readers to take control of their lives.”

→ You can dip into the first chapter, or check it out on Amazon.com.