The problem of bogus behavioural research

One of my catchphrases is, "Psychology and theology can be friends." We have the truth in Christ, but we also benefit from God’s common grace to humanity through science.

However, it is very important – especially in psychology - that you are careful about the science.

'Pop-psychology'

Pop-psychology is popular and there are rich rewards to be made by writers and researchers. A number of psychologists have become like rock stars during the first quarter of this century. David Comerford, Professor of Economics at Stirling University describes this era: “It’s almost like the more simplistic you could make your theory, the more fun, the more likely it was that you were going to get big rewards."

Here’s one example: if you adopt a "power posture" - a stance projecting dominance and confidence - for just two minutes, you will perform better in an interview. Amy Cuddy, a Harvard psychologist, claimed that levels of testosterone increased, and cortisol decreased in people after standing like this for two minutes. It feels plausible, and people could imagine it working. She wrote a bestselling book about it, and her TED talk on the subject is still in the top 25 on that website. But there is a problem: no one has been able to reproduce her results.

'False conclusions'

Professor Michael Sanders of King's College London identifies three reasons why research like this might reach false conclusions.

1. Some studies, he says, are fragile because the researcher has not collected enough data; their conclusions are unlikely to hold up to scrutiny. Amy Cuddy, who had only 42 people in her sample, fits this category.
2. Other studies are failed, he says, because of the use of dodgy data or statistical methods. As one scientist put it: “Data is like people, if you torture it for long enough it will tell you whatever you want to hear.”
3. The final reason is fraud, which does exactly what it says on the tin: the researcher had made it all up. This is rare, but it does happen.

If you are beginning to think, “How am I supposed to tell good from bad? I’m not a scientist!” then there is a simple solution.

Incidence, coincidence, pattern

When I began doing animal behaviour research, my mentor - a grumpy old fella called Steve - passed on a very useful nugget: “If you see something happen once, that is an incidence... If the same thing happens twice, that is a coincidence." Then, pointing his pencil at me to emphasise the punchline: “If the same thing happens three times, that’s a pattern!”

You can apply Steve’s logic to anything you read. One piece of research is just something that happened, a second showing the same results is more interesting, but you need multiple studies by different researchers to be sure.

So the next time you see an article in a newspaper with a headline like, "Cambridge study claims standing in ankle-deep water for five minutes cures baldness," don’t hold your breath. Especially not if you are bald!

Government and NHS advice, as well as the best training courses available, rely on research that has been confirmed by multiple researchers in multiple studies all around the world. Because it is trustworthy, it is a good companion to Christians trying to support their friend’s mental wellbeing.

Theology and good science can be friends!