An exploratory experimental study of the influence of patients' social background upon diagnostic process and outcome

An experimental study of the diagnostic process investigated the influence of a patient's perceived social characteristics upon use of the psychosomatic diagnostic category. S's heard recordings of a diagnostic interview in which an ambiguous medical problem was presented. The perceived social characteristics of the patient were manipulated using accent variations. Results showed that the diagnosis of the same presented problem varied as a function of the perceived SES of the patient, and was related to a variety of differences in stereotyped attributions of personality and interview behaviour. An explanation is offered in terms of the relation between a patient's SES and the doctor's uncertainty in his relationship with the patient, the psychosomatic diagnosis being used as a means of coping with this uncertainty.