2324-PS409 Psychology, Science & Pseudoscience

Download: PS409 Course Information 2023-2024 1.1.pdf

PS409 Psychology, Science, & Pseudoscience

1.0 Logistics

Module Weighting: 5 ECTS

Lecturer: Professor Brian Hughes (brian.hughes@universityofgalway.ie) (he/him)

Availability: BA1, BSP1, 1HDP1, Visiting students

Term Dates: 6 September to 24 November

Class times: Wednesdays, 5:00–6:00 p.m. (ORB214); Fridays, 10:00–11:00 a.m. (AC215)

2.0. Module description

Pseudoscience refers to a practice or body of knowledge that purports to be scientific but diverges from the quality-standards conventionally applied to science and scientists. Examples include supposedly scientific claims about telepathy, mediumship, and alternative medicine, but also many claims relating to climate-change scepticism, political conspiracy theories, and several xenophobic tropes. According to some critics, several areas of mainstream psychology can also be said to at least hover at the boundary between science and pseudoscience.

In this module we consider: (a) the nature of science and pseudoscience; (b) the distinctions and overlaps between psychology and pseudoscience; and (c) the psychology of ‘evidence’ and the way people often prefer nonsense over logic. We also examine how mainstream psychologists can themselves engage in their own forms of faulty scientific reasoning when they garble concepts relating to statistics and probability, when they succumb to bias and social influence, and when they sympathise with anti-science sentiments. As a case study, we consider the way psychologists have traditionally discussed and examined so-called ‘Medically Unexplained Symptoms’.

We conclude by considering how evidence-based reasoning, while humanly difficult, is critical to the well-being of the world.

3.0. Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this module, you should be able to:

Discuss the nature and scope of pseudoscience and its demarcation from mainstream science
Critique areas of pseudoscience that are frequently but erroneously conflated with mainstream psychology
Critique areas of mainstream psychology that may themselves constitute pseudoscience
Account for the psychological appeal of pseudoscience with reference to the psychology of evidentiary reasoning
Consider the requirements for rigorous sceptical research and for the evaluation of extraordinary claims

4.0. Content

This module is organised around a sequence of topics, as follows:

1	Psychology and Pseudoscience in Theory	What is science and why is it useful? What is pseudoscience and why is it popular? The scientific nature of psychology
2	Evidentiary Reasoning: Why Bad Ideas Never Fail to Prosper	Limits on cognitive performance Social pressures on reasoning e.g., religion and optimism Media distortion e.g., bias and subjectivism
3	Psychology and Pseudoscience in Practice	Examples from the Fringes Complementary therapies and miracle cures Telepathy and psychokinesis Examples from the Mainstream Biological reductionism and gender Subjective Self-Report: What Some People Say about What They Think They Think
4	Case Study: “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” -- Psychology’s Argument from Ignorance	Materialist Stigma and Mental Health Structural Misogyny in Psychology “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” and the Triumph of Eminence-Based Medicine
5	Why Does It Matter? The Ethics of Nonsense	Cynicism, nihilism, partisanship, and the cost of misinformation Epistemological threats and empirical safeguards The ethical dimension

5.0. Reading

Expected reading:

Hughes, B. M. (2016). Rethinking Psychology: Good Science, Bad Science, Pseudoscience. London: Palgrave.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscience (and linked entries)

6.0. Workload

The weighting for this module is 5 ECTS. This means that a student will “typically” need to spend a total of c. 100 hours (i.e., c. 20 hrs per ECTS credit) on relevant learning activities, including lectures, assignments, and personal study. While the following is merely a guide, one way to allocate time to this module is as follows:

24 hours of class (i.e., 2 lectures per week for 12 weeks)
60 hours of reading, research, note-taking, reflection, and other preparatory tasks during the teaching term
- Equates to 5 hours per week for 12 weeks, or 1 hour per workday
16 hours completing assignments, distributed across the teaching term and up to the final deadline for submission of assessments
- Equates to c. 8 hours per assignment

In my view, the total workload of 100 hours is effectively a maximum.

7.0. Assessment

This module is 100% continuously assessed. That is, there is no end-of-semester examination. Assessment will comprise assignments/exercises, which are summarised below. A detailed description of both assessments will be presented separately.

Both assessments are ‘summative’ rather than ‘formative’, which means: (a) participation is expected; and (b) the work will be marked according to the weighting shown as part of your overall mark for the module.

1. Blog contribution (50%)

Indicative word count: 500-1,000 words

Description: A short blog post analysing a media report on a pseudoscientific topic, event, or subject matter.

Instructions provided: Week 3

Submission window: 25 September – 27 October (i.e., Weeks 4 to 8 inclusive)

(With the author’s permission, material will be posted to The PseudoNews Project blog on a rolling basis.)

2. Podcast (50%)

Indicative recording length: 5-10 minutes

Description: Students will be allocated to pairs*. Each pair will record a brief podcast, in which they discuss a pseudoscientific topic, event, or subject matter.

Instructions provided: Week 4

Submission window: 31 October – 15 December (i.e., Weeks 9 to 12 plus the examinations period)

(*If numbers require, podcast groups containing three persons may be facilitated.)