Science and pseudoscience in clinical psychology

Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, Jan 2005 by Miller, John K

Lilienfield, S. O., Lynn, S. J., & Lohr, J. M. (Ed.). (2003). Science and pseudoscience in clinical psychology. New York: Guilford Press, 474 pp.

Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology is a stimulating and thought provoking book. The authors contend that this is a book that will likely make some people angry. They predict that some will be angry because it scrutinizes and challenges various popular practices in therapy, while others will be concerned to learn of the proliferation of questionable and invalidated techniques. The text reflects a trend in the field highlighting the schism between psychological science and actual clinical practice and the implications of this schism for the larger culture. The authors contend that their mission is not simply to debunk unproven techniques. They also advocate for the need to keep an open mind to novel practices regardless of how implausible or superficial they appear at first glance. At the same time they argue that, as scientist James Oberg observed, "Keeping an open mind is a virtue but this mind cannot be so open that one's brains fall out" (p. 4).

The book is organized into five sections regarding controversies in (1) assessment and diagnosis, (2) general controversies in psychotherapy, (3) treatment of specific adult disorders, (4) treatment of specific child disorders, and (5) self-help and the media. The editors present an outline for some of the most common features of pseudoscience including overuse of ad hoc hypotheses designed to immunize claims of falsification, absence of self-correction, evasion of peer review, emphasis on confirmation rather than refutation, reversed burden of proof, absence of connectivity, overreliance on testimonial and anecdotal evidence, use of obscurantist language, absence of boundary conditions, and the mantra of holism.

Possible audiences for the book include practicing clinicians, academics, researchers, students, and would-be consumers of mental health services. The 37 authors who contributed to the 16 chapters of the text have done a good job keeping the technical jargon to a minimum, and even those completely unfamiliar with research should be able to understand the bulk of the work. To further this clarity, each of the major chapters contains a glossary of key concepts and terms.

Although the editors contend that the text is "the first major volume devoted exclusively to distinguishing scientifically unsupported from scientifically supported practices" (p. xix), the text mirrors other efforts in this direction including the current focus on evidence based practice, empirically validated treatments, outcome research, and effectiveness research in general.

John K. Miller, PhD

University of Oregon