Final answer:
David Rosenhan's 1973 study is a significant psychological experiment that explored the distinction between sanity and insanity, specifically highlighting issues around the reliability of psychiatric diagnoses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study by David Rosenhan (1973), wherein sanity and insanity were compared, is an example of a psychological experiment.
Rosenhan's study involved a field experiment in psychological research, specifically investigating the validity of psychiatric diagnosis. The study is significant in the field of psychology because it challenged the reliability of psychiatric diagnoses, as Rosenhan and the other participants, who were mentally healthy, feigned auditory hallucinations to gain admission to psychiatric hospitals but were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders nonetheless.
The implications of the study were profound, prompting discussions on the treatment of mental illness and the ethics of psychiatric diagnosis. This experiment became a classic example in psychology texts due to its provocative findings and its demonstration of the challenge in distinguishing between sanity and insanity within psychiatric settings. The study remains a pivotal moment in understanding social norms and the labels associated with mental health.