Center for Inquiry's video: Investigating Pop Psychology: Pseudoscience Fringe Science and Controversies

Science-based advances in the field of psychology continue to grow at an impressive rate; however, even more claims in psychology have little-to-no research support. What does it mean for a mental health treatment to be considered “evidence-based” and “science-based”—and how can you tell the difference? Stephen Hupp offers recommendations for how to resist false claims and avoid the pseudoscience of pop psychology, and he’ll speak to a wide range of topics such as phrenology, extrasensory perception, dream interpretation, learning styles, brain training, energy psychology, and the role of alternative medicine in the field of mental health. Hupp’s presentation includes new contributions from several fellows of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and several other prominent skeptical scholars. Stephen Hupp, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. His books include Investigating Pop Psychology (with Richard Wiseman), Pseudoscience in Therapy (with Cara Santa Maria), Great Myths of Child Development (with Jeremy Jewell), and Investigating Clinical Psychology (forthcoming with Jonathan Stea). This talk took place on May 11, 2023, at 7:00 pm EDT.