science

Psychology Led Astray

Psychology Led Astray is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Psychology Led Astray rather than just read about it. In short: Psychology Led Astray: Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy is a book written by Tomasz Witkowski and published in 2016. Outline Part One, comprising chapters 1 through 6, seeks to answer the question about the reliability of psychology as a science.

Key takeaways

Psychology Led Astray belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Psychology Led Astray to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Psychology Led Astray from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Psychology Led Astray: Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy is a book written by Tomasz Witkowski and published in 2016.

Outline Part One, comprising chapters 1 through 6, seeks to answer the question about the reliability of psychology as a science. Part Two, comprising chapters 7 through 10, presents pseudo-scientific concepts in psychotherapy as a kind of uncontrollable experiment on humans. Part Three, comprising chapters 11 through 17, examines a range of dubious, unsupported, and discredited (though still thriving) treatments and therapeutic practices and diagnostic categories devoted to children's problems and needs (e.g., educational kinesiology, attachment therapy, trauma debriefing, Facilitated Communication, Dolphin Therapy). The book ends with a letter to Richard Feynman, chastising him for calling the whole field a cargo cult. Witkowski emphasizes examples of good science in psychology that have had demonstrable benefits for society.

Reception Writing a review for Science-Based Medicine, Hall wrote: "Witkowski has written a new book that is certain to ruffle a lot of feathers. He uncovers cargo cult practices in psychology, unmasking therapies that are devoid of science, dangerous, and even cruel, especially those directed at children. Even if you don't agree with calling these travesties of science cargo cults, it will make you wonder which other generally-accepted psychological principles and therapies are based on good science." Michael Heap, reviewer of the book, called the book "a well-written, readable and thoroughly researched book. ... The importance of its subject matter is difficult to overstate. Anyone who is concerned, however remotely, with the study of human psychology and the treatment of psychological difficulties and disorders (and this includes potential patients and their families – i.e. just about anyone) should familiarise themselves with the information in this book." Rouven Schäfer, in the Skeptiker, wrote that "the author is clearly interested in an evidence-based psychology as the next development step of this rather young science. Many people wouldn't approve of his criticism, but Witkowski's strength lies in questioning popular assumptions on top of a high level of reflectivity. Well-researched, skeptical and enjoyable to read."

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Psychology Led Astray

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Psychology Led Astray claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Psychology Led Astray before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Psychology Led Astray ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Psychology Led Astray

In research: Psychology Led Astray appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Psychology Led Astray in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Psychology Led Astray is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2016 non-fiction books, Psychology books, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Psychology Led Astray outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Psychology Led Astray in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Psychology Led Astray means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Psychology Led Astray out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Psychology Led Astray in simple terms?

Psychology Led Astray: Cargo Cult in Science and Therapy is a book written by Tomasz Witkowski and published in 2016. Outline Part One, comprising chapters 1 through 6, seeks to answer the question about the reliability of psychology as a science.

Why does Psychology Led Astray matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Psychology Led Astray?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Psychology Led Astray.