In addition to critical reviews, try assessing to see if she is just sympathetic to the general idea of so-called positive thinking and wants to believe in the power of the mind (psychobabble enough but typical of psychologists), or does she find the book personally transformative and mystically insightful? The latter will be more difficult to challenge. I have found some psych students are remarkably ignorant about the basic, natural workings of the world and hence, especially vulnerable to babble about psychic energies, space travel, and fantastic paranormal claims. I usually have them discuss some of these issues with other students from the natural sciences, and I often find that hearing and seeing how other students can be more careful thinkers about such things can be more powerful than discussion with, or lectures by me.
Gerald L. (Gary) Peterson, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Psychology Saginaw Valley State University University Center, MI 48710 989-964-4491 [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott O Lilienfeld" <[email protected]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 6:19:56 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [tips] the Secret Hi Annette: See http://www.mindpowernews.com/SkepticSecret.htm ...Scott Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D. Professor Editor, Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice Department of Psychology, Room 473 Psychology and Interdisciplinary Sciences (PAIS) Emory University 36 Eagle Row Atlanta, Georgia 30322 [email protected] (404) 727-1125 Psychology Today Blog: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-skeptical-psychologist 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-140513111X.html Scientific American Mind: Facts and Fictions in Mental Health Column: http://www.scientificamerican.com/sciammind/ The Master in the Art of Living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his intellectual passions. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him - he is always doing both. - Zen Buddhist text (slightly modified) -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 6:16 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) Subject: [tips] the Secret I have a student in my honors intro course who just lives by the Secret. I tried to tell her that it was a ridiculous premise (I may have even called it that, yes, my very bad--I just get so upset over highly capable students who swallow this stuff without thinking it through). Although there are probably some good parts to the whole premise of positive thinking, etc. there are many aspects that are very negative and very confusing. I went on line to find her some readings that do a more critical analysis but failed to find anything substantial other than blogs. I have the piece by Michael Shermer in scientific american but nothing else that would be more substantial and making a critical analysis. Do any of you have any suggestions? Annette Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology University of San Diego 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110 619-260-4006 [email protected] --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected]) This e-mail message (including any attachments) is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this message (including any attachments) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail message and destroy all copies of the original message (including attachments). --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
