“Pseudoscience is popular because it confirms what we believe; science is unpopular because it makes us question what we believe. Good science is Like all art, it often subverts our established views of the world.” — Carol Tavris, social psychologist
Gwyneth Paltrow’s new Netflix documentary series features goop lab, scheduled to launch on January 24, 2020, will similarly bring the quasi-healthcare approach known as alternative medicine into the spotlight of mainstream TV streaming. Topics on the six-episode show include energy healing, psychedelic drug use, exorcism, cold therapy, anti-aging, and women’s sexuality. More generally, goop The brand has promoted and provided a medical platform for other similar alternative medicine topics, such as past life regression therapy (an unethical treatment for mental health disorders). medical mediuma brand that promotes potentially dangerous treatments such as celery juice for addiction.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health defines alternative and complementary medicine (CAM) as medical approaches that are not typically part of conventional medicine. The term “alternative medicine” is preferred when non-mainstream practices are used in place of conventional medicine, while the term “complementary medicine” is preferred when non-mainstream practices are used together with conventional medicine. preferred when
Although the practice of alternative medicine can be rife with ethical issues, and proponents of alternative medicine are often claimed to promote a philosophy based on logical fallacies, many It is important to understand exactly what compels you to seek this type of treatment. .
One of the obvious and important drivers of CAM is the unfortunate reality that current conventional medical treatments do not work for everyone. In fact, conventional medicine operates using the scientific method as a knowledge acquisition mechanism, and there is much more knowledge to be acquired. There are currently a variety of treatments boasting varying levels of evidence and theoretical support that fall under the CAM umbrella. This means that some, but not all, current treatments that have not been well studied and are considered to be CAM (e.g. psychedelic-based treatments for some mental health disorders) This means that at some point, we may reach a somewhat arbitrary threshold for what is considered to be the standard. Scope of evidence-based medicine. However, not everyone who has not had the benefit of conventional medicine uses Her CAM, benefits from CAM, and ultimately believes in Her CAM. What other factors may be involved?
Research published in personality and individual differences provided the first empirical glimpse into the psychology and appeal of the CAM approach.
This particular study administered self-report questionnaires to a sample of more than 3,000 people (mostly college students) to examine attitudes toward CAM approaches, individual differences in thinking styles (intuitive vs. rational), paranormal beliefs, and Magical beliefs and values related to health were evaluated. . Researchers discovered his two main discoveries:
- A tendency toward intuitive thinking (as opposed to rational thinking) was positively associated with beliefs in alternative medicine.
- The strongest predictors of CAM belief were belief in the paranormal and having beliefs about magical food and health.
These results are interesting. First, they suggest that CAM believers differ from non-believers in how they process information. CAM believers are more likely to rely on an intuitive style of thinking, a kind of unconscious, quick and effortless style of thinking that draws on personal experiences, emotions, concrete images and stories, whereas CAM non-believers relies on a style of rational thinking that uses objective information, has a willingness to adjust conclusions in light of new facts, and employs conscious reasoning and mental effort.
Second, this result suggests that people who believe in CAM believe that magical foods or health-related beliefs (e.g., a person’s health is achieved through some kind of cryptic essence, such as energy or vibrations, or through some sort of cryptic essence, such as stones or hands). This means that information can be influenced by the source.
How can these findings help?
This finding suggests that there are certain psychological variables that can predict beliefs and likelihood of using CAM practices. Furthermore, the researchers have made some very sharp points. That is, CAM practices are promoted and sold in ways that use oversimplified descriptions of problems and solutions, use familiar and concrete concepts, and appeal to irrational and intuitive thinking styles. This means that there are many cases. References to personal experience, anecdotal evidence, and testimonies.
The results of this study are synergistic with the work of Timothy Caulfield, professor of health law and science policy and author of the following books: Is Gwyneth Paltrow doing it all wrong? Professor Caulfield recently called for encouraging critical thinking and harnessing the power of stories to win the fight against health-related misinformation. This is important given that many of his CAM practices are underpinned by potentially harmful pseudoscientific ideas. Therefore, correcting CAM-related misinformation by appealing to both our rational and intuitive tendencies can help advance healthcare.
