Psychology vs. Psychobabble / Pseudoscience

1. Psychology vs. Psychobabble / Pseudoscience

2. The public’s appetite for psychological information – information that will help us understand ourselves and others – has created a huge market for what is called “psychobabble” • “Psychobabble” – False science disguised with scientific-sounding language

3. We often believe psychobabble without questioning it because it might tell us what we want to hear • Or it simply sounds like it has a scientific basis • However, as students of Psychology, you have to very careful to distinguish the difference before you’re fooled!

4. What is Psychology? • Psychology – The scientific study of ___________ and ___________ processes and how they are affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state, and external environment. • The word Psychology is made up of two Greek words: 1. Psyche – mind or soul 2. Logos – study

5. What is Psychobabble and what is Pseudoscience? • Psychobabble – language or terminology that appears to be psychological on the surface but is pseudoscientific and vague. • Pseudoscience – “pseudo” means false; hence, “false science”

6. How do we know when something is psychobabble/pseudoscience instead of actual psychology? • Psychology is a science - it uses the __________________to develop ___________ and prove them. • Psychobabble/Pseudoscience displays many of the following characteristics…

7. Promises quick fixes for emotional problems • Subliminal Message Tapes: listen to while you sleep that will help you lose weight, gain confidence, learn foreign languages, etc. • Transform your rotten life in one weekend with Primal Scream Therapy! • (Links your current unhappiness to the trauma of being born. Scream out all of your anger, fear, and frustration, just like a newborn baby, and your life will improve after one weekend)

8. Uses vague and scientific sounding language • “repression of feelings” • “reprogramming your brain” • “identifying your unconscious talents”

9. Often exploits trust and belief in technology. • Actual products include “The Brain Supercharger,” “The Whole Brain Wave Form Synchro-Energizer,” “The Transcutaneous Electro-Neural Stimulator”

10. More Characteristics: • Research evidence doesn’t support claims. • Provide simplistic answers. • Confirm existing beliefs and prejudices (real Psychology often challenges them)

11. Often make predictions after the fact, rather than in advance of the predicted event. • Sometimes people also make predictions that seem too obvious/likely to truly be a feat of science. • For example, shortly after their marriage, a psychic “predicted” that Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley would get divorced within 5 years.

12. A psychologist named Geoffrey Dean summed it up best when he called pseudosciences like palm reading, graphology, fortune-telling, and astrology “psychological chewing gum – satisfying but ultimately without real substance.”

13. Watch “The Scientific Attitude: Testing Therapeutic Touch” • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNoRxCRJ-Y0 • What do you think? Science or pseudoscience?

14. What’s Your Sign? • Aries (March 21 – April 20) • Taurus (April 21 – May 21) • Gemini (May 22 – June 22) • Cancer (June 23 – July 23) • Leo (July 24 – August 23) • Virgo (August 24 – September 23) • Libra (September 24 – October 23) • Scorpio (October 24 – November 22) • Sagittarius (November 23 – December 22) • Capricorn (December 23 – January 19) • Aquarius (January 20 – February 19) • Pisces (February 20 – March 20)

15. Your Horoscope • Read your horoscope and underline anything that sounds very accurate. • Put a box around anything that does not sound accurate. • Rate your horoscope on a scale of 1 – 10 for accuracy (1= not accurate at all, 10= very accurate) • Turn and share some of the statements you found to be very accurate with a partner.

16. The Barnum Effect It is the tendency for people to accept very general or vague characterizations of themselves and take them to be accurate.