University of Galway, School of Psychology PS409 PSYCHOLOGY, SCIENCE, & PSEUDOSCIENCE Professor Brian Hughes 1. Psychology and Pseudoscience in Theory a. What is science and why is it useful? b. What is pseudoscience and why is it popular? c. The scientific nature of psychology 2. Evidentiary Reasoning: Why Bad Ideas Never Fail to Prosper a. Limits on cognitive performance b. Social pressures on reasoning i. e.g., religion and optimism c. Media distortion i. e.g., bias and subjectivism 3. Psychology and Pseudoscience in Practice a. Examples from the Fringes i. Complementary therapies and miracle cures ii. Telepathy and psychokinesis b. Examples from the Mainstream i. Biological reductionism and gender ii. Subjective Self-Report: What Some People Say about What They Think They Think 4. Case Study: “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” -- Psychology’s Argument from Ignorance a. Materialist Stigma and Mental Health b. Structural Misogyny in Psychology c. “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” and the Triumph of Eminence-Based Medicine 5. Why Does It Matter? The Ethics of Nonsense a. Cynicism, nihilism, partisanship, and the cost of misinformation b. Epistemological threats and empirical safeguards c. The ethical dimension
As another semester begins today, here is the outline of my class on 'Psychology, Science, & Pseudoscience'
(Details also in Alt Text)
#psychology #science #pseudoscience #ethics #FakeNews #AltMed #MECFS #MedicallyUnexplainedSymptoms #LongCovid #MediaBias #ConspiracyTheories #vaccines #religion
