Distinguishing science from pseudoscience in school psychology: science and scientific thinking as safeguards against human error - PubMed

Abstract

Like many domains of professional psychology, school psychology continues to struggle with the problem of distinguishing scientific from pseudoscientific and otherwise questionable clinical practices. We review evidence for the scientist-practitioner gap in school psychology and provide a user-friendly primer on science and scientific thinking for school psychologists. Specifically, we (a) outline basic principles of scientific thinking, (b) delineate widespread cognitive errors that can contribute to belief in pseudoscientific practices within school psychology and allied professions, (c) provide a list of 10 key warning signs of pseudoscience, illustrated by contemporary examples from school psychology and allied disciplines, and (d) offer 10 user-friendly prescriptions designed to encourage scientific thinking among school psychology practitioners and researchers. We argue that scientific thinking, although fallible, is ultimately school psychologists' best safeguard against a host of errors in thinking.

Comment in

• Comments on "Distinguishing science from pseudoscience in school psychology:" Evidence-based interventions for grandiose bragging.

  Kratochwill TR. Kratochwill TR. J Sch Psychol. 2012 Feb;50(1):37-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2011.11.003. Epub 2012 Jan 11. J Sch Psychol. 2012. PMID: 22386076

Similar articles

• Comments on "Distinguishing science from pseudoscience in school psychology:" Evidence-based interventions for grandiose bragging.

  Kratochwill TR. Kratochwill TR. J Sch Psychol. 2012 Feb;50(1):37-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2011.11.003. Epub 2012 Jan 11. J Sch Psychol. 2012. PMID: 22386076

• Educational interventions to advance children's scientific thinking.

  Klahr D, Zimmerman C, Jirout J. Klahr D, et al. Science. 2011 Aug 19;333(6045):971-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1204528. Science. 2011. PMID: 21852489 Review.

• Why many clinical psychologists are resistant to evidence-based practice: root causes and constructive remedies.

  Lilienfeld SO, Ritschel LA, Lynn SJ, Cautin RL, Latzman RD. Lilienfeld SO, et al. Clin Psychol Rev. 2013 Nov;33(7):883-900. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2012.09.008. Epub 2013 Apr 8. Clin Psychol Rev. 2013. PMID: 23647856 Review.

• Scientific research in school psychology: Leading researchers weigh in on its past, present, and future.

  McIntosh K, Martinez RS, Ty SV, McClain MB. McIntosh K, et al. J Sch Psychol. 2013 Jun;51(3):267-318. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2013.04.003. Epub 2013 May 18. J Sch Psychol. 2013. PMID: 23816226

• What should biomedical sciences education in dental schools achieve?

  Lantz MS, Chaves JF. Lantz MS, et al. J Dent Educ. 1997 May;61(5):426-33. J Dent Educ. 1997. PMID: 9193446

Cited by

• A large-scale study and six-month follow-up of an intervention to reduce causal illusions in high school students.

  Martínez N, Matute H, Blanco F, Barberia I. Martínez N, et al. R Soc Open Sci. 2024 Aug 21;11(8):240846. doi: 10.1098/rsos.240846. eCollection 2024 Aug. R Soc Open Sci. 2024. PMID: 39169964 Free PMC article.

• Myths in psychology: psychological misconceptions among Spanish psychology students.

  Rodríguez-Prada C, Orgaz C, Cubillas CP. Rodríguez-Prada C, et al. PeerJ. 2022 Aug 11;10:e13811. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13811. eCollection 2022. PeerJ. 2022. PMID: 35975237 Free PMC article.

• Misinformation, chiropractic, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Axén I, Bergström C, Bronson M, Côté P, Nim CG, Goncalves G, Hébert JJ, Hertel JA, Innes S, Larsen OK, Meyer AL, O'Neill S, Perle SM, Weber KA 2nd, Young KJ, Leboeuf-Yde C. Axén I, et al. Chiropr Man Therap. 2020 Nov 18;28(1):65. doi: 10.1186/s12998-020-00353-2. Chiropr Man Therap. 2020. PMID: 33208144 Free PMC article.

• A united statement of the global chiropractic research community against the pseudoscientific claim that chiropractic care boosts immunity.

  Côté P, Bussières A, Cassidy JD, Hartvigsen J, Kawchuk GN, Leboeuf-Yde C, Mior S, Schneider M; 140 signatories# call for an end to pseudoscientific claims on the effect of chiropractic care on immune function. Côté P, et al. Chiropr Man Therap. 2020 May 4;28(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12998-020-00312-x. Chiropr Man Therap. 2020. PMID: 32366319 Free PMC article.

• The Prevalence of Pseudoscientific Ideas and Neuromyths Among Sports Coaches.

  Bailey RP, Madigan DJ, Cope E, Nicholls AR. Bailey RP, et al. Front Psychol. 2018 May 2;9:641. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00641. eCollection 2018. Front Psychol. 2018. PMID: 29770115 Free PMC article.

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Elsevier Science

• Miscellaneous

  • NCI CPTAC Assay Portal