Biases In Diagnoses (Ford And Widiger)

Ford and Widiger investigated sex biases in Diagnoses of Disorders.

Method: Self-report

Participants: 354 clinical psychologists, randomly selected from the national register in 1983.

Procedure: Participants were given one of 9 case studies, patients with Anti-social Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, or a mixture of both.

They diagnosed each case study on a 7 point likert scale according to the disorder. (E.g. Narcissistic, anti-social, alcohol abuse).

Findings: ASPD was correctly diagnosed 42% in men where as only 15% in women. Women were more likely to be diagnosed with HPD (46%).

HPD was correctly diagnosed in 76% female cases and 44% male. 

Conclusion:  Psychologists were biased in diagnosis by stereotypical views of gender. Such as women were more likely to be diagnosed with HPD (excessive emotion, attention seeking, inappropriate seductiveness).