In the reading we dive into the past of psychology and its roots where people explored whether our actions are learned or inherited, highlighting the importance of curiosity, skepticism, and humility in scientific study. Critical thinkers focus more on evidence with facts, rather than facts using feelings, as we learned in our lecture. Critical thinking and being skeptical is what makes a good psychologist. We first learn about William James, a psychologist from the late 1800s to early 1900s who described how human beings carry their natural functions into the science of the brain. He explained that our senses are not just physical tools, but adaptive features that became part of our psychology. For example, the connection between the nose and the brain can be traced back to our hunting and gathering days, when smell was essential for survival. James showed how our senses are deeply tied to instincts, emotions, and intelligence. The first laboratory was established in the late 1800s, where the field split into two main approaches: structuralism and functionalism. Structuralism attempted to break the mind down into parts, much like the periodic table, but this approach was too rigid and eventually lost a lot of its support. Functionalism, on the other hand, focused on the purpose of our thoughts and behaviors. An example is why certain smells trigger memories. This perspective was influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution, emphasizing that many of our traits developed as adaptations for survival. Psychology ultimately helps us understand the person within us by allowing us to explore our emotions and learn more about what makes us, us.

Have you ever seen those ads that mention a seemingly impossible feat with an easy way to reach it? For example, a supplement that supposedly helps you lose weight in only a couple days. With 99% of people saying they lost weight within 10 days! This is known as 

Pseudoscience, we all obviously know what science is but what is pseudoscience. Pseudoscience is science disguised as being accurate or truthful but in reality it is lacking evidence or false. One major area we see pseudoscience appear is in advertising. An example being how the brand SENSA states it is clinically proven to assist the individual losing 30 pounds without working out. Simply by sprinkling the product on your food which sound outrageous. These were unfounded claims made by SENSA and they were ordered to pay 26.5 Million back to consumers. Pseudoscience is everywhere, and everyone at one point in their lives has fallen for it. Have you?

Pseudoscience has been used in many things like advertising for example dating back to the 90s, An example being how chesterfield cigarettes were advertised to not have any adverse effects on the individual smoking, when in reality the effects of smoking and universally known today. There was no proof showing that these cigarettes had no adverse affect on the user. This was common with many cigarette brands around the time as many were lying and proving claims that were unbacked or unsupported by science and were simply pseudoscience .

Have you ever seen those ads that mention a seemingly impossible feat with an easy way to reach it?  For example, a supplement that supposedly helps you lose weight in only a couple days. With 99% of people saying they lost weight within 10 days! This is known as Pseudoscience, we all obviously know what science is but what is pseudoscience. Pseudoscience is science disguised as being accurate or truthful but in reality it is lacking evidence or false. Some common aspects of pseudoscience are cherry picking evidence in order to fit a narrative, another aspect of pseudoscience is how it ignores or contradicts already known facts. Pseudoscience has been used all throughout the world for a multitude of purposes in order to fool or convince the individual about something, when the truth is purposely hidden. 

Pseudoscience ignores facts and provides untruthful or truth bent to fit a narrative, however where is this seen through our world? One major area we see pseudoscience appear is in advertising. An example being how a named brand SENSA states it is clinically proven to assist the individual losing 30 pounds without working out. Simply by sprinkling the product on your food which sounds outrageous. Losing 30 pounds, depending on the human, can take months, and requires diet changes and lifestyle changes that need to be followed regularly. Sprinkling power on food and not changing lifestyle cannot make you lose weight, its simply ridiculous. In the end the unfounded and straight up deceitful claims made by SENSA were revealed and they were ordered to pay 26.5 Million back to consumers.Pseudoscience is everywhere, and everyone at one point in their lives has fallen for it, its been around since the 18th century and has a long history.

Pseudoscience was used a lot in advertising, dating back to the 80s and 90s, An example being how chesterfield cigarettes were said to have “no unpleasant after taste” The ad is filled with deceiving tactics in order to really convince the reader. The have a image of a scientist on a microscope while smoking a chesterfield cigarette. Additionally it states that the proof comes from a “Report of a well known organization”, who is this organization? How are they well known but their name isn’t mentioned? This ad is full of pseudoscience aimed towards fooling the reader into believing it’s backed by science. This is done in multiple ads of chesterfield, where they mention studies or tests that have no backing or proof to them. An example being how another ad states a medical specialist made an examination of a group of individuals that include some chesterfield smokers. The claim made was that after a 10 month observation period there were no adverse effects on the individuals from smoking on the nose,throat or sinuses. These tests simply aren’t proven to be factually correct and often misleading uses to believing false narratives which is what these brands want to do. They wish to convince their audience something which isn’t true by using pseudoscience.

Have you ever seen those ads that mention a seemingly impossible feat with an easy way to reach it?  For example, a supplement that supposedly helps you lose weight in only a couple days. With 99% of people saying they lost weight within 10 days! This is known as Pseudoscience, we all obviously know what science is but what is pseudoscience. Pseudoscience is science disguised as being accurate or truthful but in reality it is lacking evidence or false. Some common aspects of pseudoscience are cherry picking evidence in order to fit a narrative, another aspect of pseudoscience is how it ignores or contradicts already known facts. Pseudoscience has been used all throughout the world for a multitude of purposes in order to fool or convince the individual about something, when the truth is purposely hidden. 

Pseudoscience ignores facts and provides untruthful or truth bent to fit a narrative, however where is this seen through our world? One major area we see pseudoscience appear is in advertising. An example being how a named brand SENSA states it is clinically proven to assist the individual losing 30 pounds without working out. Simply by sprinkling the product on your food which sounds outrageous. Losing 30 pounds, depending on the human, can take months, and requires diet changes and lifestyle changes that need to be followed regularly. Sprinkling power on food and not changing lifestyle cannot make you lose weight, its simply ridiculous. In the end the unfounded and straight up deceitful claims made by SENSA were revealed and they were ordered to pay 26.5 Million back to consumers.Pseudoscience is everywhere, and everyone at one point in their lives has fallen for it, its been around since the 18th century and has a long history.

Pseudoscience was used a lot in advertising, dating back to the 80s and 90s, An example being how chesterfield cigarettes were said to have “no unpleasant after taste” The ad is filled with deceiving tactics in order to really convince the reader. They have an image of a scientist on a microscope while smoking a chesterfield cigarette. Additionally it states that the proof comes from a “Report of a well known organization”, who is this organization? How are they well known but their name isn’t mentioned? This ad is full of pseudoscience aimed towards fooling the reader into believing it’s backed by science. This is done in multiple ads of Chesterfield, where they mention studies or tests that have no backing or proof to them. An example being how another ad states a medical specialist made an examination of a group of individuals that include some chesterfield smokers. The claim made was that after a 10 month observation period there were no adverse effects on the individuals from smoking on the nose,throat or sinuses. These tests simply aren’t proven to be factually correct and often misleading uses to believing false narratives which is what these brands want to do. They wish to convince their audience something which isn’t true by using pseudoscience.

An additional area where pseudoscience thrives is in the health and wellness industry, with alternative medicines and so called miracle cures. Many companies and influencers like to promote products like essential oils or detox teas, that often advertise a flush of the body’s “toxins” or even cures serious illnesses. These claims often include scientific sounding language like immune boosting, cellular detox or even to purify, balance and revilalize the body. However while they attempt to fool the reader into falling for these ads, these products lack scientific backing or evidence. An example is the detox tea which is marketed often as being a cleanser of the body’s toxins and harmful substances, however in our bodies we already have our own real working organs like the liver and kidneys that naturally detoxify our body. The authors of these products prey on people who simply dont know any better and are looking for a solution to their problem. These products offer a false sense of hope to their issue which often leads them to attempt the product. However with no peer-reviewed studies or evidence from reputable sources, these products and their claims remain pseudoscientific. The real danger that can come from these products is when people instead of using proper medical treatment for their problems they choose these cheaper alternative methods that are unproven, which can lead to serious health consequences. An example is a 51 year old woman who was suffering from a multitude of symptoms for a week including, malaise (Unconformity,illness feeling), myalgia (Muscle pain), unsteadiness, and an intermittent mild headache. After tests she was shown to have acute severe hyponatremia (dangerously low sodium levels). While the previous symptoms seemed not extreme, acute severe hyponatremia if left unchecked can lead to the brain. The woman was found to be taking detoxification teas that made her urinate more than normal, leading to her Hyponatremia. There are many other cases like this where people can develop hyponatremia due to drinking detox teas, which simply reinforces the issue with these teas and other products, when they supposedly have good effects but can land you a trip to the ER.

In conclusion, pseudoscience is such a powerful tool that still to this day continues to manipulate people through its misleading claims disguised as scientific truth. Whether it’s about a weight loss supplement,detox teas or even cigarette ads from the past, pseudoscience tactics aim to exploit people’s hopes and fears using their claims that sound convincing and evidence backed. However in reality these claims often use scientific sounding language, or refer to vague studies or experts for their support in their inconsistency with real science. The dangers simply don’t come from people being misled; however, the real dangers arise when people instead of receiving professional and proper medical care, go for the alternative and start using a pseudoscientific product as a cure or treatment. We as consumers of products which vary greatly need to be more aware of the products presented to us and the claims they supposedly uphold. Only through critical thinking and fact checking can we protect ourselves from pseudoscientific products and prevent others from being misled as well by false promises and claims.