Scott O. Lilienfeld

50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology uses popular myths as a vehicle for helping students and laypersons to distinguish science from pseudoscience. Uses common myths as a vehicle for exploring how to distinguish factual from fictional claims in popular psychology Explores topics that readers will relate to, but often misunderstand, such as "opposites attract," "people use only 10% of their brains," and handwriting reveals your personality Provides a "mythbusting kit" for evaluating folk psychology claims in everyday life Teaches essential critical thinking skills through detailed discussions of each myth Includes over 200 additional psychological myths for readers to explore Contains an Appendix of useful Web Sites for examining psychological myths Features a postscript of remarkable psychological findings that sound like myths but that are true Engaging and accessible writing style that appeals to students and lay readers alike

Can self-help recordings containing subliminal messages improve your self-esteem or memory? Is hypnotic age-regression therapy a valid way of rediscovering lost childhood memories? Does Thought Field Therapy effectively treat anxiety by manipulating energy fields? A dizzying array of popular psychology books, articles, and promotion campaigns tout these and other alleged remedies for psychological problems. Faced with this confusion, consumers of mental health services need guidelines for finding effective therapy. This useful book brings together accessible, nontechnical articles by leading scientific researchers and clinicians to help answer such critical questions concerning mental health care as: How should I select a therapist? How can I tell the difference between scientifically valid and questionable psychotherapy? Can I trust the diagnosis I have received? If you or someone you know is seeking therapy, this excellent reference book will provide needed guidance for navigating the mental health maze.

In recent years, the advent of MRI technology seems to have unlocked the secrets of the human mind, revealing the sources of our deepest desires, intentions, and fears. In this book, the authors argue that the explanatory power of brain scans in particular and neuroscience more generally has been vastly overestimated. Although acknowledging its tremendous potential, they believe that the overzealous application of the burgeoning field of brain science has put innocent people in jail, prevented addicts from healing themselves, and undermined notions of free will and responsibility.

"What's Wrong with the Rorschach? challenges the validity and utility of the inkblot test and explains why psychologists continue to judge people by their reactions to inkblots, in spite of a half century of largely negative scientific evidence against the test.". "What's Wrong with the Rorschach? offers a provocative critique of one of the most widely applied and influential - and still intensely controversial - psychological tests in the world today. Surveying more than fifty years of clinical and scholarly research, the authors provide compelling scientific evidence that the Rorschach has relatively little value for diagnosing mental illness, assessing personality, predicting behavior, or uncovering sexual abuse or other trauma. In this highly engaging and colorful account of the Rorschach's origins and history, the authors detail the wealth of scientific evidence that the test is of questionable utility for real-world decision making."--BOOK JACKET.

This work offers an evaluation of competing theoretical perspectives and nosological systems for personality disorders. The editors have brought together recognized authorities in the field to offer a synthesis of competing perspectives that provide readers with an assessment for each disorder. The result is a comprehensive, current, and critical summary of research and practice guidelines related to the personality disorders. Key Features focuses on controversies and alternative conceptualizations; separate chapters are dedicated to each personality disorder and considered from various points of view. It presents authoritative perspectives; leading scholars and researchers in the field provide a critical evaluation of alternative perspectives on each personality disorder. And it frames the current state of personality disorder research and practice issues; cutting edge and streamlined research is presented to be used in courses on diagnosis, assessment, psychopathology and abnormal psychology, especially those that include the DSM IV. It also offers an integrative understanding of elusive personality categorizations; wherever possible, case examples are offered as illustrations of each disorders clinical presentation. The use of technical terms are minimized; each contributor takes the approach of a user friendly summary and integration of major trends, findings, and future directions.