PsycCRITIQUES Blog

What Is Psychology's Role in Debates About Causes of and Treatments for Autism?

In Stuart W. G. Derbyshire’s review of Defeating Autism: A Damaging Delusion by Michael Fitzpatrick, he quotes the author's criticisms of the unorthodox biomedical movement that "seeks to redefine autism as an epidemic disease caused by vaccines or some other, as yet unidentified, environmental factor (p. xv)." Although the link between autism and vaccinations is presented as a controversial issue by some, there appears to be little controversy within the mainstream medical community. Mainstream physicians and scientists do not support the autism-vaccine link, or the use of unorthodox treatments on the grounds of insufficient empirical evidence. Derbyshire calls the unorthodox biomedical movement "a divisive and destructive force that threatens to derail autism research and undermine the quality of life that children with autism can enjoy." Furthermore, he describes a level of reluctance on the part of scientists to openly challenge pseudoscientific claims regarding the causes of autism because of "fear that a frank debate may not be effective, may alienate parents and patients, or may undermine access to funding."

Do you agree that there is reluctance among scientists to speak out against pseudoscientific claims related to autism? What may be the reasons for this reluctance, in addition to those cited by Derbyshire? What role should psychologists take in addressing claims of an autism-vaccine link and within the debate about unorthodox treatment?

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Unorthodox Theories of Autism Are Wrong and Inhuman
By Stuart W. G. Derbyshire
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(24)

Is Genius Mad?

One of the long-standing debates in discussions relating to psychopathology, clinical psychology, developmental psychology, and creativity surrounds the relationship between mental illness and creativity. Indeed, there is some connection but to what extent are they related? Is there a typical psychological makeup or certain diagnoses to which this link is most prominent? Which comes first: madness or genius? Does one cause the other? One individual that has forged ahead in examining these issues over the decades is creativity researcher and luminary Dean Keith Simonton. In his review of two documentary films that offer some insight on these issues, Between Madness and Art: The Prinzhorn Collection and Hidden Gifts: The Mystery of Angus MacPhee, Simonton begins the exploration with some questions of his own: "First, is genius born or made? Second, does a high IQ a genius make? And third, is genius mad?"

How would you respond to these questions? What research supports your perspective? Do you have any clinical case examples that support your views?

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How Thin Is the Partition? Where Does It Reside?
By Dean Keith Simonton
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(26)

Have We All Exceeded Dunbar's Number?

In reviewing Psychological Aspects of Cyberspace: Theory, Research, Applications, Matthew Hile of the Missouri Institute of Mental Health alludes to "Dunbar's number," the theoretical upper limit on the number of persons with whom one can maintain meaningful, stable, and coherent social connections (estimated to be approximately 150 people). This number is hypothesized to be set by relative neocortex size.

With our numerous links to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and other social networking sites, have many of us exceeded the cognitive limits set by Dunbar's number?

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A Brave New World
By Matthew G. Hile
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(23)

Does Gender Research Facilitate Sexism?

Alejandra Suarez begins her review of The Neuropsychology of Women by noting,

From the time when Aristotle claimed that the leader of a hive is the king bee, that women have smaller brains than men, and that the female of the species has fewer teeth than the male (Mayhew, 2004), there have been attempts to pass off misogyny as science. In particular, pseudoscientific claims of biological differences have been used to justify oppression and disdain (see discussion in Gould, 1981). A book documenting sex and gender dimorphism is like a comedy routine—timing is everything. If the text appears before its time, it can be a breeding ground for prejudiced rationalization of flimsy conclusions. If the book is thoughtfully published when the field is ripe enough, it can combat those same prejudices.

Can you think of other examples of research in gender differences in which the resulting data have been used to stigmatize women?

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Neuropsychology: Hers and His
By Alejandra Suarez
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(23)

Did Psychologists Practice on the Dark Side?

In his review of The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals, Edward J. Tejirian writes,

[A secret] memo provided the rationalization for a whole range of abusive "techniques" that were put into practice at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, Afghanistan, and in the CIA's secret prisons. It also enabled the president to flatly declare, "We don't torture," and, in his own mind, to believe that he was telling the truth. Yet, in practice—and this is what makes The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals so critically relevant to psychologists and to psychology—almost all the torture inflicted on those detained was psychological in means and intent. It is true that physical abuse that adversely affected the health and safety of detainees was also used—the occasional beating, exposure to extremes of heat and cold, and, of course, water boarding. But it was the "dark side" of psychological theory that provided the rationale for the suffering that was inflicted on those detained in the "war on terror."

Psychologists interested in these issues are encouraged to read Tejirian's review of The Dark Side, along with the companion review by Steven Behnke, and Charles Figley's review of The Trauma of Psychological Torture in the same release.

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Alternate Realities
By Edward J. Tejirian
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(22)

Is an Interdisciplinary Approach Key to Studying Interethnic Violence and Conflict?

In his review of Explaining the Breakdown of Ethnic Relations: Why Neighbors Kill (edited by Victoria Esses and Richard Vernon), Jeffrey Noel notes that a strength of the book is its interdisciplinary nature, which "includes contributions from psychology, education, sociology, philosophy, and political science." He highlights a quote from contributors Miles Hewstone, Nicole Tausch, and colleagues: "Social conflict is more complex than intergroup bias. … Real-world intergroup relations owe at least as much of their character to history, economics, politics, and ideology as they do to social psychological variables such as self-esteem, ingroup identification, group size, and group threat. (p. 65)."

Are social scientists of any discipline doomed to fail at understanding interethnic violence if they refuse to collaborate to study this very complex set of causes? For example, should social psychologists (in psychology) who often study prejudice in the lab actively collaborate with historians, economists, sociologists, and others? Should this be the future of studying interethnic violence and conflict?

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Against the Blood-Dimmed Tide: Psychology’s Response to Mass Killing and Genocide
      By Jeffrey Noel
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(18)

Are U.S. Schools and Education Policy Failing the Poor?

In her review of Stop High-Stakes Testing: An Appeal to America's Conscience by Dale D. Johnson et al., Luanna Meyer questions the premise that anyone can achieve "the American dream" through education. Specifically, she argues that the United States’ system of public schools and universities does not equal the playing field among the rich and the poor, and, in fact, public schools are just another place that allows poor children to fail. The book authors and reviewer alike sharply criticize the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), arguing that holding schools accountable via student test scores, without addressing fundamental issues of poverty, disparities in health care access, racism, funding inequities, etc., will only reflect what is already known—that children from middle-class and wealthy families will outperform poor children on standardized tests.

Should, as the book authors suggest, the NCLB be repealed and all forms of public school accountability based on testing be discontinued? What are the benefits, if any, of retaining NCLB? What are alternative approaches to school accountability that do not ignore historical, cultural, and societal inequities? On what basis should schools be held accountable, i.e., on math, science, and reading only or expanded to other subjects such as arts, music, critical thinking, etc.?

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Waking Up From the American Dream: Beyond Metaphors
By Luanna H. Meyer
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(11)

Questions on Every Parent’s Mind

In her review of The Education–Drug Use Connection: How Successes and Failures in School Relate to Adolescent Smoking, Drinking, Drug Use, and Delinquency, Liz Sale writes,

As parents, many of us worry about the future of our teenagers. They might be getting good grades in middle school, and, for the most part, they don't get into trouble. But what if they start hanging around the "wrong" kids in high school? The ones who fight, skip school, drink, smoke, and use drugs? Will our kids act out, too? And if they do, how will it affect them as young adults? Can they succeed academically despite their "problem" behaviors in high school?

What is the relationship between academic success and substance use behaviors?

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Cigarettes, Booze, Drugs, and the Honor Roll (?)
By Liz Sale
      PsycCRITIQUES, 2009 Vol 54(11)