By: Tamara Johnson | posted August 2, 2013
A series of unfortunate events over the last few years has sparked a "crisis in confidence" in the field of psychology.This introduction to an Association for Psychological Sciences journal dedicated to the subject details cases of research fraud, misleading statistics, questionable research practices, and downright pseudoscience. Meanwhile, scientists and journalists have expressed frustration and fatigue with claims purporting to answer grandiose questions about human nature and experience with neuroscience. "A new branch of the neuroscience-explains-everything genre may be created at any time by the simple expedient of adding the prefix "neuro" to whatever you are talking about," complains Steven Poole in this emphatic New Statesman article. "'Neuroeconomics' is the latest in a long line."
Dr. Paul Zak is a neuroeconomist whose work focuses on the role of oxytocin (OT) in decision-making. He also engages in public education outreach efforts that draw some flak for presenting an overly simplistic version of the scientific story. In this interview, Dr. Zak addresses some of these issues and shares recommendations for discerning good science from hype./.../
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