Real psychology: how to recognize scammers

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

A guide to exposing homebrew experts and couch gurus.

There are many books, courses and trainings on bookshelves and on the Internet that promise to make you happier, more productive, more attractive to romantic partners, and at the same time heal childhood traumas. High demand breeds a huge number of scammers and simply incompetent people, hiding behind abstruse terms and tempting prospects. Lifehacker tells how not to fall for their bait. And at the same time he finds out what place psychology occupies in science.

Is psychology a science

Before talking about false psychology, you need to understand whether it is considered a science at all. This is being discussed by Henriques G. The “Is Psychology a Science?” Debate. Psychology Today since the inception of this field of knowledge in the second half of the 19th century. There is still no definite answer, because both psychology and science are complex, multifaceted concepts.

There are several generally accepted criteria for being scientific:

• systematic, orderly knowledge;
• formed methodology (generally accepted research methods);
• empiricism (the ability to prove a theory, conduct an experiment), repeatability of results;
• objectivity, independence of the results from the views of the researcher.

It is obvious that psychology has problems with some of these points. The results of experiments cannot always be repeated, and the scientific methods of natural science (physics, chemistry, biology) cannot always be applied for psychological research. The fact is that psychology studies a very unstable subject - the psyche and human behavior. It is also an area of expertise in which it is very difficult to avoid cognitive biases and delusions.

But the main one is Henriques G. The “Is Psychology a Science?” Debate. Psychology Today the problem of psychology is that during its entire existence it has not developed a single concept with which all psychologists or most of them would agree. Certain areas arise and disappear Gilbert D. What are the biggest issues in psychology today? Big Think are becoming popular and obsolete too quickly.

Nevertheless, it is impossible to completely refuse psychology to be scientific: scientists-psychologists conduct research, form hypotheses and test them, discover patterns. So even if this is not a science (there is even more controversy about sociology, political science and history), then at least a scientific discipline or a field of knowledge.

What is pseudopsychology

Now let's turn to false psychology. The Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited by Raymond Corsini and Alan Auerbach, has the following description:

Activities that have a superficial or seeming resemblance to psychology can range from close to professional activities to outright quackery. Some forms of pseudo-psychology are harmless and enjoyable in nature, but other forms of it can cause serious harm.

Pseudo-psychology, unlike the present one, does not rely on the data of experiments and research. Its widespread use is due to the fact that it often becomes a means of reducing anxiety or stress.

Why is pseudopsychology dangerous?

Such practices can have a significant impact on people, form and strengthen pseudoscientific beliefs and even false memories.

Quack psychologists can only aggravate your condition with their advice. It is even worse if, having come to such a training, you fall into a sect and become addicted. In this case, you will not only lose money and risk breaking the connection with loved ones and the real world, but also, probably, get new psychological or even physical trauma.

For example, the journalist of “Novaya Gazeta” Elena Kostyuchenko after only four days spent on the Russian equivalent of Lifespring - the training “Rose of the World” - spent a month and a half “I only remember that I am lying on the floor of the hall and crying - and crying beside”. How business trainings turn people into cultists. The Insider at a mental hospital. She was investigating the suicides of three other members of the project.

In addition, pseudo-specialists diminish the credibility of psychology in general and undermine the credibility of academic researchers. And this, in turn, only strengthens the position of pseudopsychology.

What concepts is pseudopsychology often based on?

It can be difficult to draw a clear line between new concepts in academic psychology and false theories. If it is more or less clear with openly unscientific views, such as astrology, numerology, palmistry, then problems may arise with a number of scientific concepts. Some of them are:

• Phrenology - the doctrine of the relationship between the human psyche and the structure of his skull, one of the oldest pseudosciences.
• Physiognomy - the theory according to which a person's face can be used to determine his personality type, mental qualities and state of health. In the Cambridge History of Science, physiognomy is on a par with alchemy and astrology.
• Graphology - the doctrine of a stable connection between handwriting and personality character. Research; do not prove it works.
• Cold reading - a technique used by psychics and illusionists to create the impression that they know ("scan", "read") the person they see for the first time. At the same time, in the framework of cold reading, only guesses and general phrases are used.
• Parapsychology - pseudoscientific Reber A. S., Alcock J. E. Why Parapsychological Claims Cannot Be True. Skeptical Inquirer A discipline that attempts to apply scientific methods and terminology to search for supernatural phenomena.
• Transpersonal Psychology - a trend that combines the methods of psychology with the methods of other social sciences, religious and spiritual practices. Not recognized by most of the scientific community.
• Rebirthing - a breathing technique that supposedly helps to correct the psychological consequences of trauma, which, according to the adherents of this method, any person receives at birth. During one of the rebirthing sessions, a 10-year-old girl, Candice Newmaker, died. The practice was found to be discredited.
• Socionics - a pseudoscientific concept of personality types, invented in the USSR.
• Lifespring - personal growth training from the company of the same name, which has appeared in many lawsuits initiated by its former followers. The organization itself and its successors are dangerous manipulative sects.
• Human Design System - a pseudoscientific Tolboll M. A Critique of the Human Design System hiding behind concepts from physics and psychology, combining elements of astrology, Eastern teachings and ideas from ancient treatises.
• "Vedic psychology" - a cult that refers to the texts of the Vedas (the holy scriptures of Hinduism) and promotes the idea of "female" and "male" destiny. Doctor of Psychology Alexander Tkhostov, Head of the Department of Moscow State University, in an interview “Calling a woman a goddess is a cheap method. It will calm you down for a day or a week, and then life will begin. " Realnoe Vremya expressed the position to the Realnoe Vremya newspaper that the practitioners of this approach "do not prove anything, their statements are based on faith."
• Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) - a pseudoscientific concept, according to which you can achieve success by copying the behavior of other people.

There are also doubts about the validity of the ideas of psychoanalysis and the theory of interpretation of dreams of Sigmund Freud - there is too little supporting evidence and experiments.

This should also include primary therapy (psychotherapy using screaming), hypnotic age regression (experiencing moments of the past under hypnosis), therapy of past lives (experiencing moments of previous incarnations under hypnosis), systemic family constellations (the relationship of psychological problems in several generations of the family), neurocoaching (a technique for increasing creativity), neuropsychoanalysis (combining psychoanalysis with laboratory research), desensitization (reducing emotional outbursts) and other questionable methods.

How to check a concept for scientific character

Fake psychologists can use other "new age religions" or pseudoscientific ideas. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to recognize them.

One of the main methods for determining scientific character was proposed back in 1934 by the Austrian philosopher and sociologist Karl Popper. In the work of Popper KR Logic of scientific research. - M., 2005 "The logic of scientific research" he pointed out that one of the main criteria of pseudoscience is the categorical nature of its followers, the refusal to admit that the concept can be refuted, that is, rather faith than objective knowledge.

Popper gave this example: the hypothesis "All swans are white" could be supported by an endless number of studies and observations. But it would have been refuted by the very first experience that discovered a black swan. It turns out that the main question that needs to be asked if you doubt the scientific nature of the concept is: "What should happen in order for you to abandon your own hypothesis?"

Lack of new and testable theories, blurred wording, ignorance of the research community should alert you. Science journalist Emily Willingham, writing for The Washington Post, Scientific American, Forbes and others, advises Willingham E. 10 Questions To Distinguish Real From Fake Science. Forbes ask the following 10 questions to test the scientific nature of the concepts:

1. What are the sources? Check the bibliography: The presence of serious peer-reviewed journals (such as Nature, The Lancet, or Science) as well as modern research (not the mid-20th century) is a good sign. It is also useful to check if someone is referring to the author of the book.
2. Who is funding? Scientific research should be carried out on the basis of some organization. If not a word is said about this, but along the way you are offered to buy something - most likely, you should not take such literature or training seriously.
3. What language does the author use? A bad scientist is who cannot explain his research in simple words. A pile of terms or, conversely, an abundance of emotional words or exclamation marks do not bode well.
4. Are there any reviews? If the author of a book or training, instead of scientific papers, flaunts reviews in which readers or participants share supposedly incredible results, most likely they are trying to deceive you.
5. Does the study claim to be exclusivity? Science has existed for a long time and always (even when the existing hypotheses are refuted) relies on the experience of previous generations. So "unique", "secret" and "revolutionary" techniques are highly suspicious.
6. Is there any mention of any conspiracy? "Doctors are hiding", "governments are not disclosing this secret to anyone" - such phrases clearly indicate the falsity of the theories of their authors.
7. Does the author declare that he can cure several ailments at once? Don't believe those who promise cures for allergies, anxiety disorders, and cancer and depression are scammers.
8. Is there a financial or cult trail behind this whole story? Anyone who receives money from speeches, seminars, courses is not always a fraud. But often psychological books and trainings are used by sects to recruit new followers.
9. What is the evidence? The introduction of a hypothesis into a scientific context is a multi-stage process: this requires fundamental and clinical research, their expert assessment, and tracking of scientific works. If there is no such evidence base, then you are - with a high probability - a false theory.
10. Is an expert an expert? The fact that a person has a scientific degree does not yet make him an expert in any field. He may be a Ph. D., but writing about brain neurons and chemical engineering. Consider more sources and opinions to determine if the author of the book or training really has a deep understanding of the stated area.

What other signs can you recognize as false psychology?

The psychologist is not a superman and not a walking X-ray. Do not expect miracles from him and hope that "after reading this book, I will finally solve all my problems."Much depends on whose work you are reading and whose training you attend: a professional with education and vast experience or yesterday's housewife who took two-week courses. Here are some criteria by which you can define an unscrupulous psychologist.

1. The achievements of the author cannot be verified

If in the book's preface, in the About the Author section, or in the bibliography, there are studies about which neither Yandex nor Google knows anything, then they probably simply do not exist. You shouldn't spend money on books and trainings of such an author.

If a person gives examples of “experiments” at the level “I rested in Turkey and observed the behavior of people” - this is not a psychologist or a scientist. Also, indirect achievements are not suitable for confirming professionalism: “opened my own training center”, “wrote a book”, “held thousands of consultations”. All this is not evidence of competence or even success. A "training center" may be a one-piece book inherited from a grandmother, and a book may be a crooked file that has never been published anywhere.

The real achievements can be considered, for example, articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals (Psychology Today, Science, Nature, "Questions of Psychology", "Psychological Science and Education"), the presence of a dissertation, the abstract of which can be read.

2. Referring to the experience of individuals and folk wisdom

A true researcher is not looking for the truth in ancient texts and aphorisms of great personalities. He turns to scientific works. A weak list of used literature or its absence translates the research into the category of fiction or as a maximum of popular science works.

This also includes an approach that is more like a kitchen conversation: the "guru" invites you to speak, imagine that you are having a heart-to-heart conversation. But a psychologist is not someone who offers a solution to a problem, descending from the pedestal of his life experience. A psychologist is someone who is well acquainted with the scientific research of human behavior and therefore can figure out the real cause of difficulties.

3. General expressions instead of specific language

There is such a thing as the Barnum effect, or the Forer effect. According to him, people tend to try on the average general characteristics of human qualities, perceiving them as individual.

This effect is best described by an experiment conducted in 1949 by psychologist Bertram Forer with his students at the University of Massachusetts. He asked the participants to take a test, according to which he would supposedly be able to make an individual psychological portrait of the personality of each of them. However, instead of a real assessment, Forer handed out to students the same vague text taken from the horoscope, and asked them to rate the accuracy of the characteristic on a five-point scale. The average score was 4, 26.

Therefore, you should not be surprised if a “psychologist” from the first pages or within 5 minutes of training “read” you, having learned in an incomprehensible way about childhood trauma or difficulties in your personal life. The real specialist either describes a specific problem, or gives all the possible options that he encountered in practice and in the studied literature.

4. Banal advice and imposing your opinion

“Let go of the past”, “Love yourself”, “Be yourself” - all these are useless recommendations that it is not clear how to implement in life. They are easy to give on any occasion. Don't like your job? You just haven't learned to be yourself. Do you have a relationship with your partner? You just don't love yourself.

Such advice does not solve your problems and does not help you understand how exactly you need to act. Moreover, even during practice (when you come for a consultation in person), psychologists and psychotherapists should Anderson S. K. To Give or Not to Give Advice. Psychology Today be extremely careful when making recommendations. This is a very serious question Anderson, S. K., Handelsman, M. M. Ethics for psychotherapists and counselors: A proactive approach. - Wiley-Blackwell, 2010 Professional Ethics. After all, when advising something, a psychologist may unconsciously begin to impose his opinion on you, and this is unethical and unprofessional.

5. Promises to solve all problems in one go

There are no universal methods. Just as to cure a disease, you need to drink more than one pill, but a whole course, so psychological problems are not solved with one click of a finger. You shouldn't waste your time and money on those who promise to help you with everything at once.

6. Science-like speech

As mentioned above, a real scientist can always explain his theory or experiment in simple words or give an example that is understandable to an ordinary person. But sometimes difficult terms may be behind not only the desire to look more respectable, but also outright cheating. For example, the followers of "Human Design" in their trainings tell Tolboll M. A Critique of the Human Design System about neutrino particles, and this is a difficult topic even for a professional physicist.

Be careful, check facts, and do not blindly trust authors and their theories that you do not understand.