Some people wonder whether the scientific approach to psychology is necessary. Can we not reach the same conclusions based on common sense or intuition? Certainly we all have intuitive beliefs about people’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings—and these beliefs are collectively referred to as folk psychology. Although much of our folk psychology is probably reasonably accurate, it is clear that much of it is not. For example, most people believe that anger can be relieved by “letting it out”—perhaps by punching something or screaming loudly. Scientific research, however, has shown that this approach tends to leave people feeling more angry, not less (Bushman, 2002). 1 Likewise, most people believe that no one would confess to a crime that he or she had not committed, unless perhaps that person was being physically tortured. But again, extensive empirical research has shown that false confessions are surprisingly common and occur for a variety of reasons (Kassin & Gudjonsson, 2004). 2
Some Great Myths
In 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology, psychologist Scott Lilienfeld and colleagues discuss several widely held commonsense beliefs about human behavior that scientific research has shown to be incorrect(Lilienfeld, Lynn, Ruscio, & Beyerstein, 2010). 3 Here is a short list.
- “People use only 10% of their brain power.”
- “Most people experience a midlife crisis in their 40’s or 50’s.”
- “Students learn best when teaching styles are matched to their learning styles.”
- “Low self-esteem is a major cause of psychological problems.”
- “Psychiatric admissions and crimes increase during full moons.”
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