GETPSYCHED: AN INTRODUCTION [1/5]
EXAMINING THE HUMAN CONDITION, ONE EVIDENCE-BASED STUDY AT A TIME
An Oprah effect(1) skews public understanding of psychological research and psychotherapy. The persuasive—and revivalist-esque—nature of therapeutic talk shows, and shelves of self-help mantras and methods, provide nothing but a wide variety of snake-oils—vitamins become a cure-all, fighting the common cold, and relieving depression. You cannot cure cancer by bleeding with leaches, and a thousand anecdotal testimonials do not provide evidences of effectiveness.
PART 1: I’M PSYCHED: WHY YOU SHOULD BE, TOO!
I run. I run naked. To clarify—I run without headphones, music, or other forms of distraction. Long runs leave me alone with my thoughts and often provide an ample opportunity to develop ideas—weaving many “what ifs” as the miles pass. This blog is one such idea. GETPSYCHED developed last February, between the third and forth mile of a midnight run. Over the course of a few months, I refined and focused my goals for GETPSYCHED.
As I begin my graduate studies in clinical psychology, this site serves a dual-purpose: increasing my personal awareness of contemporary psychological research, and providing an outlet for my skeptical voice. I will attempt to clearly present contemporary research, and address media (mis)representations and public perception. Though ambitious, I’d like to improve public perception of psychology as a respected and established science.
GETPSYCHED developed from a desire to provide objective, science-based communicates of contemporary issues in psychology. Popular opinion regards the field with gross misunderstanding, media misinterpretation burdens psychology, and other science-based endeavors.
An Oprah effect(1) skews public understanding of psychological research and psychotherapy. The persuasive—and revivalist-esque—nature of therapeutic talk shows, and shelves of self-help mantras and methods, provide nothing but a wide variety of snake-oils—vitamins become a cure-all, fighting the common cold, and relieving depression. You cannot cure cancer by bleeding with leaches, and a thousand anecdotal testimonials do not provide evidences of effectiveness.
GETPSYCHED will examine popular conceptions of psychology, contemporary views within the field, and provide a critical analysis of contemporary research. I will examine validity and explore extraordinary claims.
I hope to encourage discussions, and an informed audience able to critically examine psychology, scientific research, and generally question what they hold as truth. Let the evidence construct a narrative. I hope disseminating reliable information will help to curb misrepresentation of psychological research and psychotherapy.
Ultimately, I hope GETPSYCHED develops into a psychology focused, scientific communication platform, extending from blog content to though other social medias—like Twitter and Reddit—with interesting blog content; encouraging enriched, informed discussion and participation. So stay tuned, get psyched, and let’s get started…
STAY TUNED and GET PSYCHED!
Next Post: Tuesday, September 24th, 09:00 EST
An Introduction, Part 2: SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
Find me @getpsychedblog on Twitter
Coming soon! The GETPSYCHED sub-reddit
(1) Bell, A. V. (2014). “I think about Oprah”: Social class differences in sources of health information. Qualitative health research. PMID: 24623661
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