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Graphology: Science or Pseudoscience?

The document discusses the differences between science and pseudoscience. It provides examples of popular psychology topics that are considered pseudoscience like believing most people only use 10% of their brain or that listening to Mozart can make infants smarter. Pseudoscience makes claims that appear scientific but violate scientific criteria by not being testable or falsifiable. Characteristics of pseudoscience include invoking loopholes to avoid falsification, lack of self-correction, emphasizing confirmation over contradictory evidence, and evading peer review. The scientific approach relies on systematic empiricism, publicly verifiable knowledge, and addressing empirically solvable problems.

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Yusinta Muawanah
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123 views7 pages

Graphology: Science or Pseudoscience?

The document discusses the differences between science and pseudoscience. It provides examples of popular psychology topics that are considered pseudoscience like believing most people only use 10% of their brain or that listening to Mozart can make infants smarter. Pseudoscience makes claims that appear scientific but violate scientific criteria by not being testable or falsifiable. Characteristics of pseudoscience include invoking loopholes to avoid falsification, lack of self-correction, emphasizing confirmation over contradictory evidence, and evading peer review. The scientific approach relies on systematic empiricism, publicly verifiable knowledge, and addressing empirically solvable problems.

Uploaded by

Yusinta Muawanah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Science vs.

Pseudoscience

CH 1
Popular psychology topics: myth or real

 Most people use only 10% of their brain


 Expressing anger is better than holding it in
 Opposites attract in relationships
 High self-esteem is needed for good
psychological health
 Listening to Mozart can make infants
smarter
 A full moon can trigger wacky behavior
 Your first guess is the right one on a test
 Most people will have a mid-life crisis
 Handwriting can reveal personality traits
Pseudoscience

 “Claims that appear to be scientific but that actually


violate the criteria of science.”
“Claims exhibit superficial trappings of science but little of its
substance” (Lilienfeld, 2004)
 Examples?
Crop circles, alien abductions, Big Foot, …
What about… hypnosis for memory recovery, multiple personality
disorder, Rorschach inkblot test, handwriting analysis, polygraphs…?
 Scientific revolution (new paradigm/theory) or
pseudoscience?
Thomas Kuhn (1970)
[Link]
 Skeptic vs. critic vs. scientist
Pseudoscience and Science

 Each has a different approach to evidence


Science seeks out contradictory evidence; and adds it into theory
 Good or bad science, NOT good or bad scientist
No scientist is free of biases
But, can be aware of biases and try to control them
 Pseudoscience beliefs are not foolish or stupid
Don’t be a critic just to be contrary
There are remarkable theories that appear to be true
Seek out the truth – require good research methods!
 Do not confuse pseudoscience beliefs with religious beliefs
“Religious claims cannot be tested empirically so are outside the
boundaries of science” (Lilienfeld, 2004)
Scientific approach (ch1)

 What are the “criteria of science”?


 Systematic empiricism
Design controlled study to observe behavior and draw
conclusions
 Publicly verifiable knowledge
Present research so it can be observed, replicated, criticized
and tested in other ways
 Empirically solvable problems
Questions are potentially answerable (can’t as “is there life
after death”)
Principle of falsifiability – possible to disconfirm hypothesis
Pseudoscience

Scientific American Frontiers video


 Palm reading
 Dowsing
 Alien body discovered
 Zero-point energy
 Graphology: Handwriting analysis
 Healing touch

 What are the claims?


 What is the evidence of pseudoscience?
Characteristics of Pseudoscience (Lilienfeld, 2004)

 A tendency to invoke loopholes or ad hoc hypotheses to


immunize claims from falsification
 An absence of self-correction; intellectual stagnation
 An emphasis on confirmation
 A tendency to place burden of proof on skeptics
 Excessive reliance on anecdotal and testimonial evidence to
substantiate claims
 Evasion of scrutiny afforded by peer review
 Absence to build on existing scientific knowledge
 Use of impressive-sounding jargon
 Absence of boundary conditions or where claims do not hold

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