3 ARTICLES TO USE FOR A DISCUSSION OF PSYCHOLOGY AS A SCIENCE.   These articles are very different but any one of them is useful for student engagement in learning about the science used in the field.

————————————————————

ARTICLE #1

TITLE

Flat Earthers, and the Rise of Science Denial in America

DESCRIPTION

This is a fascinating article about science denial and reasons for it.   The author focuses on his attending a “flat earth society meeting” and uses this as a stepping off point to look at why scientific reasoning and evidence are denied.  He recounts a number of incidents at the “convention” and his conversations with the believers/deniers.  “A better way to respond is to stop talking about proof, certainty, and logic, and start talking more about scientific “values.” In my book The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science From Denial, Fraud, And Pseudosience, I defend the idea that what is most distinctive about science is not its method but its “attitude”: the idea that scientists care about evidence and are willing to change their views based on new evidence. This is what truly separates scientists from their deniers and imitators.”

This article can be useful as for a great discussion and lesson regarding Scientific Psychology, methods, and attitudes toward our deeper understanding in the field.

SOURCE

Newsweek, May 14, 2019, by Lee McIntyre

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.newsweek.com/flat-earth-science-denial-america-1421936

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/yxuuk36c

ARTICLE #2

TITLE

Is Hypnosis Real? Here’s What Science Says

DESCRIPTION

This is a very interesting article to include in the discussion of both Psychology as a Science as well as for the topic dealing with “states of consciousness.”   What is hypnosis?  How is it studied?  Is it real or placebo?  Are brain mechanisms involved?  Students will find it to be a fascinating topic to discuss along with the notion of how Psychological science studies such phenomena.

SOURCE

Time, September 4, 2018, by Markham Heid

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/5380312/is-hypnosis-real-science/

(Tiny URL) http://tinyurl.com/y4v2sebb

ARTICLE #3

TITLE

People Are Now Taking Placebo Pills to Deal With Their Health — And it’s Working

DESCRIPTION

When discussing the scientific method in Psychology, often the topic of placebo in experimental design is introduced.  This is important in students understanding of experimental and control groups as well as randomized trial double-blind studies.  Now researchers are finding that in some instances, telling the subjects that they are receiving a placebo can actually have an effect on the treatment outcomes.  In one study, the researchers state:  “The findings were surprising. Nearly twice as many people in the trial who knowingly received placebo pills reported experiencing adequate symptom relief, compared with the people who received no treatment.”

This article discusses the history of placebo effects in medicine, the various perspectives on why a placebo may make a difference, and also nocebo effects (negative reactions).   This will make a wonderful addition to the discussion of Psychology as a science.

SOURCE

Time, August 23, 2018, by Alexandra Sifferlin

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://time.com/5375724/placebo-bill-health-problems/

(Tiny URL)  http://tinyurl.com/yxgfov4b

————————————————————

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•First:  discuss the concept of the “scientific attitude” as it applies to modern Psychological Science.

•According to the articles, what are some of the reasons that individuals deny scientific evidence?  Though the article chosen discusses conspiracies and flat earth believers, what “wrong” beliefs in Psychology have been difficult to challenge?  (these can include nature/nurture, intelligence, mental illness, and so on)

•The topic of hypnosis is discussed in one article.  Is there evidence that confirms that this is a genuine phenomenon?  How has it been studied?  What are the perspectives about how it might actually work?

•The article on placebo effects is a must to include in discussion of Psychology as a science.  What is a placebo effect?  Why is a placebo group included in many studies?  What is a nocebo?

•The article discusses how, in many instances, actually knowing that a placebo is a treatment actually has effectiveness for some individuals.  What are some of the hypotheses as to why this can occur?