Pseudoscience

Question 1

What is pseudoscience?

Answer 1

“non-science masquerading as genuine science”

Question 2

Qualities of pseudoscience

Answer 2

• Framing to be non-falsifiable - can’t be tested empirically
• Absence of self-correction
• Overuse of anecdotal evidence
• avoidance in peer-review - may develop their own journals
• absence of connection to other research areas
• overuse of jargon - “sound like” science

Question 3

What is the scientific approach?

Answer 3

• systematic safeguard against confirmation bias
• accept facts even as they oppose wishes
• override feelings of what you’re studying

Question 4

What is evidence-based practice?

Answer 4

• using best available research that gives evidence of treatment
• clinical expertise
• client values

Question 5

What are unvalidated treatments or theories?

Answer 5

• HAVE NOT been tested, only theorized

Question 6

What are pseudoscientific theories or treatments?

Answer 6

• “guising” science; misleading; doesn’t change at with conflicting evidence

Question 6

What are unsupported treatment or theories?

Answer 6

• HAVE been tested BUT either do not work or are shown to be harmful

Question 7

Concerns with pseudoscience

Answer 7

• access to valid treatment = limited = people receive unsupported/unvalidated/pseudoscience treatment
• harder for people to detect untested or questionable treatments

Question 8

Examples of questionable practiced treatments

Answer 8

• Sand box play
• Psychodynamics psychotherapy for OCD - work but CBT more cost effective
• Rebirthing - attachment based therapy

Question 9

Unsettling Facts about practitioners

Answer 9

• only 53% of PhD programs required CBT training
• 72% accredited by APA has less than 15 hrs of empirical supported therapy training
• US social programs = don’t require EST training
• 75% of clinical social workers reported 1 or more pseudoscientific or unsupported treatment

Question 10

Consequences of non-scientific supported treatments

Answer 10

• harm i.e. rebirthing
• opportunity cost = waste time and resources

Question 11

Attitudes to Evidence based pratice

Answer 11

Social workers on selecting treatments
- lowest rated = research in reviewed journals

• highest rated = personal clinical experiences, compatibility with personality, what “resonates”, intuition

Question 12

Factors is resistance of EBP

Answer 12

• power of informal evidence
• Post hoc = after this, therefore, beacuase of this
• Specific cultural ideas
• Erroneious belifes about EBP
• Better than nothing
• Professional Barriers

Question 13

Factors is resistance of EBP - better than nothing

Answer 13

• doing something»_space;» doing nothing

Question 14

Factors is resistance of EBP - Informal evidence

Answer 14

• testimonials = drawn in by “results”
• recommendation by “experts” - not everyone is
• personal experience

Question 14

Factors is resistance of EBP - post hoc

Answer 14

• drawing casual conclusions due to sequence of events
• people vulnerable to cognitive fallacies
• errors in cognitions = derail reasoning
• placebo, spontaneous remission, regression to mean

Question 15

Factors is resistance of EBP - specific cultural ideas

Answer 15

• certain experiences = psychological problems
• not necessary to address certain early childhood events

Question 16

Factors is resistance of EBP - erroneous beliefs of EBP

Answer 16

EBP is…
- hinder development; not innovative

• not flexible
• client in research not the same as real life

Question 17

Factors is resistance of EBP - professional barriers

Answer 17

• lack of time to learn
• lack of opportunities or resources to train
• “statistical complexity”
• research not disseminated to public well enough
• collaborate with other clinicians

Question 18

Examples of practices of unsupported treatment

Answer 18

• ED = herbal treatments, aromatherapy, art therapy, naturopathy
• Thought field therapy - tapping certain points on the body to release blocked energy
• therapeutic touch - hand sweeping over patient body to relieve WILD amounts of issues

Question 19

What is EMDR

Answer 19

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• treatment for PTSD
• Eye movements + recalling event
• Described theory a little confusing though

Question 20

Early reactions of EMDR

Answer 20

• looked like pseudoscience
• Media show EMDR = miracle cure
• Vague and untested theory
• Dismissed as ineffective

Question 21

How to identify strong research support?

Answer 21

2 or more good “between groups” to show:

• superior to pill, placebo, or another treatment
• equivalent to establish treatment in experiments

Question 21

Where is EMDR recommended?

Answer 21

• National Institute for Clinical Excellence (UK)
• Australian Centre for Post-traumatic mental Health
• American Psychiatric Association
• American Psychological Association
• APA division of Empirically Validated Treatments

Question 22

How should experiments be conducted?

Answer 22

- with manuals - client samples clearly specified - effect of treatments by two or more investigators or investigating teams

Question 23

Controversy of EMDR

Answer 23

- theory = unsettling - practice = shows results - original underpinning theory not tested and seems to be untestable

Question 24

How EMDR works

Answer 24

Tax working memory via dial task paradigm: - intentional, voluntary eye movement + imagining something = difficult to do both - traumatic event blurriness = less emotional response = memory dampened with practices Suggestion for other tasks: - drawing/Tetris = yes - beeps/tones = no

Question 25

Critiques by Lilienfeld, 2007

Answer 25

- concentration and reliance to report average changes in groups = obscured variability - very few reports of where people deteriorate from treatment - limitation of what an "outcome" is - why do clients drop out of trials? - studies filed away - underestimation of direct harm posed by treatment

Question 25

Questions to ask for treatment

Answer 25

- Treatment better than NO treatment or placebo? - Treatment better than standard treatment? - Treatment works how you claim? - How do you determine if I'm improving or not?