Pseudo-Psychological Pseudo-Science
by tdaxp ~ April 18th, 2008
Mixing Memory links and quotes an article finding (unsurprisingly) little evidence for “repression,” part of the pseudoscience of psychoanalysis.
Mixing Memory : There’s No Such Thing as Repression
The current dispute regarding the existence of repression has mainly focused on whether people remember or forget trauma. Repression, however, is a multidimensional construct, which, in addition to the memory aspect, consists of pathogenic effects on adjustment and the unconscious. Accordingly, in order to arrive at a more accurate decision regarding the existence of repression, studies relevant to all three areas are reviewed. Moreover, since psychoanalysis regards repression as a key factor in accounting for the development and treatment of neurotic disorders, relevant research from these two domains are also taken into account. This comprehensive evaluation reveals little empirical justification for maintaining the psychoanalytic concept of repression.
I’m presently writing on paper on the debate around Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (another piece of pseudoscientific nonsense), so this empirical takedown of Sigmund Freud struck me.
I think this is your...
April 18th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Gardner invented his “multiple intelligences” to make people feel better about those who scored low on traditional intelligence tests. I almost fell out of my chair when I read this:
“Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence entails the potential of using one’s whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related.”[1]
The good thing about this kind of pseudo-science is it might be an argument for ending racial discrimination. If we can agree that certain groups have different type of “intelligence,” then we can conclude that the reason the NBA is almost all black is not due to discrimination against whites.
Because the NBA is almost all black, this MUST mean that there’s discrimination against Whites, Asians, Hispanics, and Jews?
[1] http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm
April 18th, 2008 at 8:35 am
As Howard Gardner wrote [1,2]:
“IQ based education, which Waterhouse lauds, has yielded no genuine implications for classroom instructions or the improvement of performances, only feelings of pride and shame on the part of test-takers or their families.” (pg. 229)
“This project taught Gardner another key lesson: Developing tests is an expensive and time-consuming process whose final results may well be misused. Even as the IQ test yields premature, all-purpose descriptions of “smart” and “dumb,” a Spectrum assessment unthinkingly might lead to labeling a child as “music smart” or “interpersonally stupid.” (pg. 230).
[1] Gardner, H. and Moran, S. (2006). The science of Multiple Intelligences Theory: A response to Lynn Waterhouse. Educational Psychologist, 41(4), 227-232.
[2] http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a784752234~db=all~jumptype=rss