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Thinking Critically With Psychological Science

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Hoping to satisfy their curiosity about people and to remedy their own woes, millions turn to “psychology.” They listen to talk-radio counseling. They read articles on psychic powers. They attend stop-smoking hypnosis seminars. They immerse themselves in self-help websites and books on the meaning of dreams, the path to ecstatic love, and the roots of personal happiness.

Others, intrigued by claims of psychological truth, wonder: How—and how much—does parenting shape children’s personalities and abilities? Are first-born children more driven to achieve? Do dreams have deep meaning? Does psychotherapy heal?

In working with such questions, how can we separate uninformed opinions from examined conclusions? How can we best use psychology to understand why people think, feel, and act as they do?

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