Critical Thinking in Psychology: Separating Sense from Nonsense

by John Ruscio

Book Overview

Do you have the tools to distinguish between the true science of human thought and behavior from pop psychology? John Ruscio's book provides a tangible and compelling framework for making that distinction. Because we are inundated with "scientific" claims, the author does not merely differentiate science and pseudoscience, but goes further to teach the fundamentals of scientific reasoning upon which you can base your evaluation of information.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0534634591
• ISBN13: 9780534634599
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Critical thinking in Psychology

The book was new and intact, shipping was within the time indicated. The only problem was I withdrew from the course and had to return the book. It was still new and intact.

Great teaching tool

This book is required reading for my general psychology students. Complex issues in behavioral science are presented in a clear, almost conversational manner, through discussion of apt examples like MPD and false memories, Clever Hans, crop circles, claims of alien abductions, conspiracy theories, and homeopathic medicine. The chapters are short (10-15 pgs.) and can be related to the intro psych text book chapters, thus it is fairly easy to integrate the material into the syllabus. For example, Ch. 4 covers the need to evaluate appeals to authority and expertise, in part by walking the reader through Milgram's obedience research and explaining the results, which makes it a good companion for the text book chapter on social psychology. Most students find the book compelling and thought provoking, and class discussions are lively and fun for me and for them. At semester's end, students are equipped with knowledge and thinking skills that will help them to sort science from pseudoscience, spot fallacious reasoning and bias in themselves and others, and examine correlations and claims of causation critically.