Overview
This book provides a comprehensive review of numerous areas of pseudoscience and related pathological science. It not only describes the factual bases for rejecting pseudoscientific claims, but also emphasizes the psychological processes that lead to the acceptance of such claims. This book is timely, given the increase in misinformation over the past decade. Using three principles of cognitive psychology, this book helps explain why people are hard-wired to accept and continue to believe in pseudoscientific claims. It provides up-to-date discussions of numerous paranormal and pseudoscientific topics, including the usual suspects—UFOs and alien abductions, astrology, cryptozoology, and more—but also belief in conspiracy theories, laboratory parapsychology, bogus forensic science techniques, the pseudopsychologies of Freud, medical fraud, and the unethical practices of Big Pharma. Older research that was foundational in the critical examination of several topics is woven throughout to situate them in a historical context.
Full Product Details
Author: Terence Hines
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Weight: 0.658kg
ISBN: 9781538194669
ISBN 10: 153819466
Pages: 434
Publication Date: 12 March 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.
Reviews
A comprehensive and readable discussion of the psychology of pseudoscience. I found Hines's writing to be very readable and accessible. He uses academic vocabulary where appropriate but does not descend into jargon. Average college students and educated lay people should be able to get as much out of this book as professionals and academics. This would be ideal for any course that teaches about critical thinking, pseudoscience, or skepticism. It could also serve as the basis for workshops/seminars at science or skepticism conferences.--Ron Fritze, Athens State University Providing breadth of coverage, clarity of writing style, and appropriate use of humor, this book is an engaging and comprehensive critical review of a wide range of pseudoscientific topics that explores the underlying psychological factors behind paranormal and related beliefs. This is a book that I would strongly recommend to the interested layperson. The need for improved critical thinking among the general population and the ability to distinguish between good quality evidence and both misinformation and disinformation has never been higher. This is evidenced by the popularity of unfounded conspiracy theories, including dangerous claims from the COVID anti-vaccination movement, and the continued popularity of sensationalistic uncritical coverage of a wide range of pseudoscientific claims in the media. This book would prove extremely useful to all who oppose such trends.--Christopher C. French, Goldsmiths, University of London; author of The Science of Weird Shit: Why Our Minds Conjure the Paranormal This is an excellent, up-to-date book about pseudoscience and science denial, with an in-depth look at how human psychology promotes these problems. The writing style is serious and scholarly, but still very accessible. With excellent scholarship and thorough knowledge of the background of each topic, this book covers contemporary issues such as the anti-science developments in COVID denial and the explosion of conspiracy thinking.--Donald R. Prothero, Cal Poly Pomona
Terence Hines is one of the world's foremost authorities on the science of pseudoscience. He's also a hero of mine. Like his engaging contributions to Skeptical Inquirer magazine, I learned so much from this book, and I believe all readers will benefit from thinking about what's believable (and what's unbelievable) using key principles of cognitive psychology. From historical hogwash to modern malarkey, Hines superbly helps sifts through the silliness toward a better understanding of the human mind.-- ""Stephen Hupp, Editor, Skeptical Inquirer: The Magazine for Science and Reason""
Author Information
Terence Hines has been professor of Psychology at Pace University since 1981 and is adjunct professor of Neurology at New York Medical College. After graduate school he had a one-year post-doctorate position at the Boston Veteran’s Administration studying the cognitive effects of normal aging. Following that he moved to the Neurology Department of the Cornell University Medical School for two years, doing research on split brain individuals and Parkinson’s disease. His major research interests include bilingual memory, representation of number in memory, and the causes of belief in things paranormal.
