In your future role in the field of psychology, you might consider how a client's cultural, gender, and developmental background influences his or her diagnosis.

Awareness of a client's background may assist in your understanding of how the client's symptoms, signs, and behaviors are experienced and expressed. As the DSM states, disorders are defined relative to culture, social, and familial norms and values. In addition, the causes and expression of many disorders are influenced by sex and gender differences.

Understanding this perspective may lead psychologists to develop an accurate diagnosis for a client with a similar background or inaccurately diagnosis a client with a dissimilar background. Although an understanding of the client's background may assist with the development of an accurate diagnosis, psychologists must be careful that personal biases about that background do not shape diagnosis.

For this Discussion, review the case study of "Marvin" in the Learning Resources. Objectively, consider the client's cultural identity and how this might contribute to diagnosis. If you were working with Marvin, how might your personal biases play a role in his diagnosis? Consider ways you might mitigate, or reduce, the appearance of personal biases in diagnosis.

With these thoughts in mind:

Post by Day 4 an explanation of how the client's culture, gender, developmental, or lifespan background may contribute toward personal biases and diagnosis.

Then explain how your personal biases might influence the client's diagnosis. Finally, explain three ways you, as a future professional in the field, might mitigate or reduce the appearance of biases in diagnosis.

Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the Learning Resources and current literature.

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