Randolph A. Smith & Stephen F. Davis (2012). The psychologist as detective: An introduction to conducting research in psychology (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
By presenting the research psychologist as a detective and by giving many examples of solving psychological mysteries, this book enlivens the often-dry stuff of research methodology. It deals with all aspects of the research process: forming hypotheses or questions, using the library, designing research studies, considering ethical issues, analyzing and graphing data, and writing reports.
Keith E. Stanovich (2012). How to think straight about psychology (10th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
This fun-to-read book deals with popular misconceptions about psychological phenomena, the faulty uses of evidence and logic that lead to such misconceptions, and the processes through which enduring psychological knowledge has been developed. The author’s goal, which is well achieved, is to help readers acquire the tools needed for critical thinking in psychology.
Jonathan C. Smith (2010). Pseudoscience and extraordinary claims of the paranormal: A critical thinker’s toolkit. Malden, MA: Willey-Blackwell.
This is a book about the “evidence,” the common cognitive errors people make, and the (sometimes) trickery that lead many people to believe in phenomena that violate normal expectations of how the world works. Among the beliefs discussed are those concerning psychic readings, prophetic dreams, astrology, life after death, ESP, psychokinesis, superstitions, UFOs, the power of prayer, faith healing, psychic surgery, placebo effects, facilitated communication, and creationism. Central to the book is the “Critical Thinker’s Toolkit,” that people can use in their everyday lives.
John Ruscio (2006). Critical thinking in psychology: Separating sense from nonsense (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson/Wadsworth.
This is a fascinating book about pop psychology’s many myths, and about the social pressures, faulty reasoning, and pseudoscientific “evidence” that promote such myths. It is well designed to empower readers to think for themselves, to question the evidence, and to be especially skeptical of claims that defy common sense. In the final chapter, Ruscio summarizes his suggestions for critical thinking, including “beware of wishful thinking,” “don’t be misled by testimonials,” “keep in touch with reality,” “remember that correlation does not imply causation,” “challenge conspiracy theories,” and “take advantage of the power of statistical decision making.”
Michael Shermer (2002). Why people believe weird things: Pseudoscience, superstition, and other confusions of our time. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press
Shermer tackles some of the more frequent and fascinating aspects of why people believe strange things in this entertaining book. From the outlandish to pseudoscience to simple misunderstandings, he explores a wide array of topics, including the history of superstitions like the witch hunts to more recent crazes such as alien abductions, all the while revealing how such illogical reasoning can be dangerous to individuals and humanity at large.