Navigating the Mindfield: A Guide to Separating Science from Pseudoscience in Mental Health

636 Pages·2008·41.016 MB·English

by  Scott O. Lilienfeld, John Ruscio, Steven Jay Lynn (eds.)

NAVIGATING

the m i n d f i e l d
A Guide to Separating Science
from Pseudoscience in Mental Health
Can self-help CDs containing subliminal messages improve your self-esteem or memory?
Is hypnotic age-regression therapy a valid way of rediscovering lost childhood memories?
Does Thought Field Therapy effectively treat anxiety by manipulating energy fields?
A dizzying array of popular psychology books, articles, and promotional campaigns
tout these and other alleged remedies for psychological problems—promising
you freedom from phobias and the achievement of marital bliss. While many methods
of therapeutic treatment can be very successful, some that are hyped as effective do not
deliver on their promises, and some are even harmful. Faced with such a wide variety
of choices, consumers of mental health services need guidelines for finding effective
therapy. The editors of this useful book, drawing on their decades of experience in the
mental health field, bring together accessible, nontechnical articles by leading scientific
researchers and clinicians to help answer such critical questions concerning mental
health care as: How should I select a therapist? How can I tell the difference between
scientifically valid and questionable psychotherapy? Can I trust the diagnosis I have
received?
If you or someone you know is seeking therapy, this excellent reference book will
provide needed guidance for navigating the mental health maze.
SCOTT O. LILIENFELD, PhD, is professor of psychology at Emory University, the
founder and editor in chief of Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, and the author
(with S. J. Lynn and J. M. Lohr) of Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology, among
many other publications.
JOHN RUSCIO, PhD, is associate professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey,
associate editor of Scientific Review of Mental Health Practicey and author of Clear Think­
ing with Psychology, among many other publications.
STEVEN JAY LYNN, PhD, is professor of psychology at the State University of New York
at Binghamton, a consulting editor for the Journal of Abnormal Psychology, and most
recently the author (with I. Kirsch) of Essentials of Clinical Hypnosis, among many other
publications.
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N A V IG A T IN G
THE M I N D F IE L D

N A V IG A T IN G
THE M I N D F IE L D
A Guide to Separating Science
from Pseudoscience in Mental Health
Edited by
Scott O. Lilienfeld,
John Ruscio,
and Steven Jay Lynn
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2119
Published 2008 by Prometheus Books
Navigating the Mindfield: A Guide to Separating Science from Pseudoscience in Mental Health.
Copyright © 2008 by Scott O. Lilienfeld, John Ruscio, and Steven Jay Lynn. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or a Web site without prior written
permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical arti­
cles and reviews.
Inquiries should be addressed to
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2119
VOICE: 716-691-0133, ext. 210
FAX: [phone]
WWW.PROMETHEUSBOOKS.COM
19 18 17 16 15 6 5 4 3 2
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Navigating the mindfield : a guide to separating science from pseudoscience in mental
health / edited by Scott O Lilienfeld, John Ruscio, and Steven Jay Lynn,
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-59102-467-5
1. Psychiatry—Popular works. 2. Psychiatric errors. 3. Mental health. 4. Pseudo­
science. 5. Alternative medicine—Evaluation. I. Lilienfeld, Scott O., I960- II. Ruscio, John.
III. Lynn, Steven J.
RC460.N38 2008
616.89—dc22
2008016553
Printed in the United States on acid-free paper
To Barry Lane Beyerstein (1947-2007),
wonderful friend, courageous inquirer, and tireless proponent of
rationality in mental health practice

C
ontents
Acknowledgments 11
Introduction 13
Section I. The Scientist-Practitioner Gap and Its Origins
1. Fringe Psychotherapies: The Public at Risk 33
Barry L. Beyerstein
2. Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology:
Initial Thoughts, Reflections, and Considerations 57
Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, and Jeffrey Af. Loh
3. Where Do Fads Come From? 75
Stuart Vyse
Section II. How to Distinguish the Wheat from the Chaff
in Mental Healthcare
Introduction 101
4. Psychotherapy on Trial 103
H. Arkowitz and Scott O. Lilienfeld
5. Why Bogus Therapies Seem to Work 111
Barry L. Beyerstein
Section III. How to Evaluate Assessment Methods
Introduction 129
6. What’s Wrong with This Picture? 133
Scott O. Lilienfeld, James Af. Wood, and Howard N. Garb
7. The Rorschach Inkblot Test, Fortune Tellers, and
Cold Reading 145
James Af. Wood, Af. Teresa Nezworski, Scott O. Lilienfeld,
and Howard N. Garb
1
8 Contents
8. Clinical Intuition 159
David Myers
9. Custody Disputed 175
Robert E. Emery, Randy K. Otto, and
William O'Donohue
Section IV. How to Evaluate Psychiatric Diagnoses
Introduction 183
10. Separating Fact from Fiction in the Etiology and
Treatment of Autism:
A Scientific Review of the Evidence 187
James D. Herbert, Ian R. Sharp, and
Brandon A. Gaudiano
11. Resilience in the Face of Potential Trauma 239
George A. Bonanno
12. Multiple Personality Disorder:
Witchcraft Survives in the Twentieth Century 249
August Piper Jr.
Section V. How to Evaluate Memory and
Memory Recovery Techniques
Introduction 271
13. Creating False Memories 273
Elizabeth F. Loftus
14. Memory Recovery Techniques in Psychotherapy:
Problems and Pitfalls 283
Steven Jay Lynn, Elizabeth F. Loftus, Scott O. Lilienfeld,
and Timothy Lock
Section VI. How to Evaluate Psychotherapy
Introduction 305
15. Psychotherapy: The Myth of Expertise 311
Robyn M. Dawes