Introduction to Psychology Class 2 Science or Pseudoscience June 13 2006 PT Barnum Effect You have a need for other people to like and admire you and yet you tend to be critical of yourself While you have some personality weaknesses you are generally able to compensate for them You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage At times you have serious doubts whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing Attributes of Science Substantive debate by experts Independent confirmation of facts Wherever possible quantify Make sure the question is testable Checks for replication of results Uses double blind procedures Correlation is not causation Attributes of Pseudoscience Associates itself with true science Relies on anecdotal evidence Sidesteps disproof Fakes simplicity Vague terminology Count the hits forget the misses Differs from a protoscience NPR Interview http www npr org templates story story php storyId 1415763 Ira Flatow of National Public Radio interviews Michael Shermer author of Why People believe Weird Things Pseudoscience Superstition and Other Confusions of our Time and a founding publisher of Skeptic magazine Stuart Vyse author of Believing in Magic The Psychology of Superstition and chair of the Psychology department at Connecticut College
View Full Document
Unlocking...