PSYC FPX 3520 assessment 3

Thinking, Feeling, and Believing: A Case Study 

This case study is about Frank, a psychologist who practices deceptive behavior with his patient, Eduardo, while doctoring symptoms to fit his story. Frank’s behavior not only threatens Eduardo’s health but also raises ethical questions about his professional behavior.

Confirmation Bias in Psychological Practice 

The social psychology effect to be observed in this situation of the case study is confirmation bias, wherein individuals give selective attention to information supporting their preconceived notions and disregard contradictory evidence (Baumeister & Bushman, 2020). Frank’s confirmation bias is observed in the manner in which he overestimates symptoms of depression in Eduardo and overlooks signs in the direction of Dependent Personality Disorder.

Research Support

Two studies offer evidence to support confirmation bias in decision-making. Rajsic, Wilson, and Pratt (2015) offered experiments that demonstrated confirmation bias in visual search tasks, wherein subjects showed a bias towards placing primacy on information consistent with their predictions. Similarly, Kappes et al. (2019) studied confirmation bias in the utilization of other individuals’ opinions, indicating individuals’ tendency to de-emphasize information that does not agree with their pre-existing assumptions.

Application of Confirmation Bias 

Frank’s confirmation bias appears when he chooses to selectively acknowledge Eduardo’s symptoms that are indicative of major depression and ignore signs of Dependent Personality Disorder. This bias creates distorted impressions and wrong conclusions that have grave implications for Eduardo’s mental well-being.

 Ethical Reasoning Application 

Frank’s justifications are a justification of his unethical behavior, and he justifies dishonest practices in the name of future success as a psychologist. Such justifications, however, conceal the ethical implication of his actions and undermine professional integrity (Mulder & van Dijk, 2020).

Critical Thinking Application 

Frank’s failure to gather in-depth information bars his critical thinking ability. By filtering data selectively and refusing to consider the broader picture, Frank bars the accuracy and relevance of his judgments (Paul & Elder, 2012).