I know nothing about, and was not criticizing Dr. Koocher. I was criticizing the premises of your defense of him.
Paul Okami ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patricia Spiegel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 1:25 PM Subject: Re: APA President-elect > Well, last I heard evolutionary theory and space alien abductions were not > being debated among psychologists. But there were psychologists (including > some very well-regarded ones) who were looking at the recovered memory > issue. I have not carefully followed that debate, so I will not argue it > here except to note that in the professional literature I had not seen much > of anything about the disputed side. (Come on. "Entertainment Tonight" and > "The National Enquirer" don't count.) > > But more to the core of this: To take one act that an individual engaged in > and demonize the rest of him reminds me of tactics used in another recent > presidential election. Tell you what. If the two Paul's and Stephen will > give their permission, I will forward this thread to Koocher himself and let > him respond to your concerns. I look forward to hearing from the 3 of you. > > Patricia Keith-Spiegel > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Paul Okami" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 9:44 AM > Subject: Re: APA President-elect > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Patricia Spiegel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 12:22 PM > > Subject: Re: APA President-elect > > > > [snip] > > > > Gerry > >> should not be judged by his interest in sharing "all sides of all > > stories." > >> This is one of his strengths. The recovered memory debate was happening, > >> and one side was receiving far more attention than the other, which is > >> why > >> he had an interest in taking a look at the side that had not received > >> much > >> of a forum within the field while the other side was getting all of the > >> attention despite methodological problems in that research as well. And, > >> that is ALL there is to that. > >> > > > > I think there is a serious problem with this position. Shall we give > > equal time to creationism as to evolutionary theory? Is there a "debate" > > about whether or not evolution has taken place? Is there a "debate" about > > whether or not human beings are being abducted by aliens en masse by for > > strange sexual examinations on space craft? In my view, all sides of an > > issue should be presented--but only when all sides of an issue are > > rational. > > Moreover, I disagree that the "false memory" side has received "far > > more > > attention" than the Satanic Ritual Abuse and Recovered Memory side. This > > is > > so patently false as to be a rather shocking proposition. Every student I > > have ever met has heard of SRA and Recovered Memory (and the vast majority > > believe that these are real phenomena). No more than one or two in each > > class are aware that false memories may be created through therapeutic > > intervention or by any other means, or that no evidence has ever been > > found > > to substantiate the existence of Satanic Ritual Abuse (and indeed, the FBI > > claims that this is a mental health issue, not a law enforcement issue). > > Any professional psychiatrist or psychologist who proposes that we > > consider > > the existence of SRA as just "another side in a debate" ought to be > > stripped of his or her credentials (as was Bennett Braun). > > > > Paul > > > > > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
