Mt. SAC Department of Psychology

Show me the data!!

Interesting research topic for PSYC 3 projects!!

Can a Tattoo Make a Man More Attractive? ... and what men think of their tattooed competition.

UNL DIVERSIFYING PSYCHOLOGY WEEKEND! The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will be holding its annual Diversifying Psychology Weekend from August 12 – 13, 2022. This event is intended to help workshop doctoral program application materials for applicants from underrepresented backgrounds. They define underrepresented and diversity very broadly and encourage students at any stage of the graduate school application process to apply. Travel, lodging, and most meals will be covered during the event.

Applications are due June 6 and the application is very brief! They anticipate notifying all attendees by June 30th and coordinating travel shortly after that.

You can access the application link here: https://ssp.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8cxv8lVpLpHxil0. Please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

Supporting parents via Instagram

CHARACTERISTIC OF PSEUDOSCIENCE #2: RELIES HEAVILY ON ANECDOTES: The evidence largely comes from personal experiences and testimonials.

Most of us think a personal experience is the best way to know if something is true. But anecdotes are terrible evidence. We don’t realize how easily we can misperceive our experiences. Plus, anecdotes aren’t controlled, so it’s difficult to know why something happened. Our biases and limited perceptions are precisely why we need carefully controlled scientific studies.

Yet the lifeblood of pseudoscience is the anecdote. Testimonials are easy and cheap. And by offering vivid and emotional stories, proponents can persuade without evidence. Who needs a body to prove Bigfoot exists when there’s a compelling story about a sighting?

Alternative treatments love to use testimonials, featuring customers who claim essential oils “treated” their headaches or magnetic bracelets “cured” their back pain. But for these claims to be scientific, researchers would need to control for other factors and compare the products to a placebo in a randomized, double-blinded controlled trial.

While these stories can be very convincing, there’s likely a reason your doctor doesn’t prescribe crystals or homeopathy. When pseudoscientific remedies are actually tested, they perform no better than placebos.

TAKE-HOME MESSAGE

Pseudoscience pretends to be scientific to convince unsuspecting victims. But pseudoscience isn’t harmless: It can literally cost you your life.

Critical thinking and science literacy are empowering. They can help you make better decisions and live a better life. So learn to spot the characteristics of pseudoscience to avoid being fooled by science’s pretender.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE: https://thinkingispower.com/11-characteristics-of-pseudoscience/

Psychologists fight Russian disinformation

The Limits of Vacation During the pandemic, some companies have expanded their vacation policies to reduce burnout. Experts say there’s a better way.

Survivors of trauma struggle to move on from the loss of loved ones Treating post-traumatic stress symptoms early could prevent persistent grief later, study finds.