General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Should the United States have a standard Psychological Test [View all]Gravitycollapse
(8,155 posts)Scientific research is paradigmatic. Once a specific paradigm is established, the vast majority of research takes on the form of normal science, working to reinforce the paradigm. Little work is conducted to test the legitimacy of the paradigm, so the paradigm exists untouched until the normal science begins to uncover cracks in the theoretical structure. These cracks accumulate over time until there is a crisis of consensus, and the paradigm collapses. Once the paradigm has collapsed, revolutionary science begins, searching to find the next paradigm.
I tell you this because this is the way scientific certainty waxes and wanes. What is scientifically certain now may not be in the future. This failure of certainty is especially prominent within psychology, as psychology has throughout history been used as a method of social and behavioral control.
Simply because a practice draws immense funding and is subject to scientific consensus does not mean that practice is legitimate. It simply means that it fits the scientific paradigm. Electroshock therapy and lobotomies were all the rage 60 years ago. There's a reason why they are rarely ever used today.
As for patients paying money for procedures, we tend to defer to scientific authority on matters we don't understand. Why do you trust the word of your doctor when you go in for a check up or have a procedure done? You assume they know what they're talking about.