The role of preferred beliefs in skepticism about psychology.

Abstract

Not being taken seriously can be an occupational hazard for psychologists, but Lilienfeld's (February-March 2012) thought-provoking article (see record 2011-12007-001) provides a useful framework for thinking about (a) the forms that skepticism about psychological science can take, (b) the roots of such skepticism, and (c) how one might address or even undermine it. But as Lilienfeld (2012, p. 117) noted, "The sources of public skepticism toward psychology are multifarious," and his list "is surely not exhaustive." We agree and believe that another source deserves emphasis, one that psychologists ignore at their peril. Specifically, what psychologists have to say about human behavior can clash with people's beliefs and intuitions.