“Fades, Fakes, and Frauds” reviewed by Science-Based Medicine
On November 1st, 2022 a review of my new book Fades, Fakes, and Frauds. Exploding Myths in Culture, Science and Psychology written by Harriet Hall also known as The SkepDoc was […]
“FADS, FAKES, AND FRAUDS” REVIEWED BY “SKEPTIKER”
Many cultural achievements are more or less in conflict with reality, since distortions of perception and errors in judgment are part of human nature. Even cherished assumptions often turn out […]
The Right to Die
On 24 February 2022, the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, two Russian warships attacked Snake Island. When the Moskva warship demanded that the crew defending the island surrender […]
Fades, Fakes, and Frauds – The premiere of my newest book!
On September 15, 2022, the premiere of my latest book Fades, Fakes, and Frauds. Exploding Myths in Culture, Science and Psychology took place. The book is available in paper, e-book […]
Interview for the French weekly L’Express
Tomasz Witkowski : „La psychologie et le développement personnel ont remplacé la religion” PNL, thérapies „quantiques”, psychanalyse… Le psychologue rationaliste dénonce les fondements pseudoscientifiques de méthodes qui ont le vent […]
Marvin Ross about my new forthcoming book “Fads, Fakes, and Frauds”
Marvin Ross, medical writer/publisher, author of Anti-Psychiatry and the UN Assault on the Mentally Ill and blogger at Mind You Reflection on Mental Illness, Mental Health and Life wrote a […]
Roy Baumeister about my new forthcoming book “Fads, Fakes, and Frauds”
Prof. Roy F. Baumeister, one of the most influential social psychologists scientists in the world wrote a Foreword for my new forthcoming book Fads, Fakes and Frauds: Exploding Myths in […]
The presumption of innocence
There would be no Easter if the crowd had not decided on guilt and innocence three days earlier, shouting, “Free Barabbas!” Two thousand years later, the crowd still decides between […]
Brian Nosek about my new forthcoming book “Fads, Fakes, and Frauds”
Prof. Brian Nosek, director of the Center for Open Science, initiator and coordinator of many replication projects, recognized in 2015 by Nature as one of the 10 most influential scientists […]
Psychotherapy: Gaps in Our Knowledge
Our understanding of psychotherapy is as fragmented and distorted as the proverbial blind men’s understanding of the elephant. For one thing, we lack reliable data about how many people practise psychotherapy, […]
Subtractive Epistemology: How to Add Value by Taking Things Away
The aim of science is not to open the door to infinite wisdom, but to set some limit on infinite error.—Bertolt Brecht Pathological hoarding (syllogomania) is a well-known psychological disorder […]
The Victims’ Race
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Roger Freeing Angelica, 1819, Wikimedia Commons On August 2nd, 2013, 14-year-old Hannah Smith of Leicestershire, England, took her own life. She had been receiving cruel messages on the social networking […]
The praise of unambiguity
My new article in CULTURICO. Enjoy reading! One of the principles of critical thinking is to avoid excessive generalizations. The uncritical application of this principle in many cases leads to […]
In Reply to Tomasz Witkowski: To Foster a Culture of Common Sense
Paul Sturdee “What is needed is a return to a culture of common sense and personal well-being, in which one is judged according to what kind of person one is […]
“SHAPING PSYCHOLOGY” REVIEWED BY “SKEPTIKER”
The interviews were really well done. They testify to Witkowski’s very good preparation and his in-depth knowledge of the subject. An enlightening journey through the contemporary world of psychology.The book […]
A Rocking Chair with a Fan? Parallels with Psychotherapy
“This modest and inconspicuous doctor published a 2018 guide for lay people, describing simple methods for helping people with mental health problems, entitled Where There Is No Psychiatrist.” In 1847, […]
Beware of False Humanists
“At the same time, I cannot find a single discovery in the history of science that has been made by following the conviction that everybody is different.” I have yet […]
Mr Hyde – The Dark Side of Placebo Effect
On May 7, 2021 the new article (co-written with Maciej Zatonski) was published at: We hear very often about the benefits of auto-suggestion (a.k.a. placebos) in medicine, but much less […]
Suicide Prevention and the Social Science Cargo Cult
When white people began visiting the islands of the Pacific Ocean, the native peoples, fascinated by the abundance of good things coming to them, assiduously observed the visitors’ behaviour. They concluded […]
“Shaping Psychology” reviewed by Science-Based Medicine
On December 29, 2020 a review of my new book Shaping Psychology: Legacy, Controversy and the Future of the Field written by Harriet Hall was published at: Meet the Psychologists […]
About “Shaping Psychology” in “The Skeptical Intelligencer”
Tomasz Witkowski proves to be an able interviewer, very knowledgeable and well informed about psychological and philosophical matters. Prof. Michael Heap who is the Editor of Quarterly Magazine of the Association […]
‘If we don’t solve the incentives problem, we will become a very narrow discipline’
Tomasz Witkowski meets Brian Nosek, in an edited extract from Tomasz’s new book of interviews. This is an edited extract from ‘Chapter 13, Brian A. Nosek: Open Science and Reproducibility […]
My new book is coming soon!
A wonderful book, full of unexpected and insightful answers to probing questions. The full sweep of psychology and the mind sciences is in full display. A must read. Michael S. […]
The Benefits of Loneliness – my new article in the Areo Magazine
In 2017, then British prime minister Theresa May appointed Tracey Crouch to the newly created position of Minister for Sport, Civil Society and Loneliness. Crouch became the head of an […]
Choosing the Final Freedom: Suicide in the Past and Present – my new article in the Areo Magazine
During the Second World War, my mother’s sister was a liaison officer in the resistance movement. She performed very important clandestine work. As she said herself, she wasn’t afraid of […]
Wisdom vs. Authority in Science – my new article in the Areo Magazine
The story of Abraham and Isaac is probably the most shocking example of submissiveness to authority in the written records of our civilization. However, this tragedy is rarely used as […]
Pop Concert, Opera — Or Both? What Drives People To Become “Cultural Omnivores”
My last article in BPS Research Digest. Enjoy reading! Research Digest By guest bloggerTomasz Witkowski While waiting for the philharmonic orchestra to begin in the concert hall, you observe the […]
“Psychology Gone Wrong” on the bestseller list of the German portal “Bucher World”
I am pleased to inform you that Psychology Gone Wrong. The Dark Side of Science and Therapy hit the bestseller list of the German portal in the category of clinical […]
A miracle cancer prevention and treatment? Not necessarily as the analysis of 26 articles by legendary Hans Eysenck shows.
It is currently estimated that at least one in four readers of this article will die of cancer. This rather simple statistic leads rational readers to consider such cause of […]
Neuro-linguistic programming: A critical evaluation for managers and engineers
I am pleased to inform you that a few months ago a book was published which contains a chapter of my co-authorship devoted to the critical assessment of neuro-linguistic programming […]
After 12 years my Sokal-style hoax is still alive and well
It’s been 12 years since I managed to publish an article dedicated to a new type of psychotherapy, which appeared in the Polish popular science journal Charaktery under the title […]
Will this time be different?
Originally posted on The Hardest Science:
I had the honor to deliver the closing address to the Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science on July 9, 2019 in Rotterdam.…
There Is Limited Evidence To Support The Widely Held Belief That Psychotherapy Changes The Body As Well As The Mind
Research Digest By guest blogger Tomasz Witkowski Looking at the latest epidemiological data, it could be argued that we are in the midst of a pandemic of mental illness, of dimensions […]
Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full? Latest Results in the Replication Crisis in Psychology
My contribution to the discussion about the replication crisis published in Skeptical Inquirer. Enjoy reading! For years a chorus of voices has spoken of a replication crisis in psychology, particularly […]
Are Criminal Profilers “Any Better Than A Bartender”? Not Necessarily, Suggests Review Of 40 Years Of Relevant Research
The profession of “criminal profiler” is one shrouded in secrecy, even giving off a hint of danger. Yet when the American psychiatrist James A. Brussel began profiling a particular suspect […]
HOW CORRUPT IS ACADEMIC PSYCHOLOGY?
Thanks to Danny Whittaker, the author of the blog MY OWN WORST ENEMY, I invite you to listen to the podcast: or watch a video of my conversation with Danny: […]
Replication Crisis – Next Scene
Everybody talks about replication again. This is due to the results of Many Labs 2. You can read about it among others in NATURE, THE ATLANTIC, FUTURISM.COM, etc. Over the past few years, […]
MANY UNDERGRAD PSYCH TEXTBOOKS DO A POOR JOB OF DESCRIBING SCIENCE AND EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY’S PLACE IN IT
Psychology as a scientific field enjoys a tremendous level of popularity throughout society, a fascination that could even be described as religious. This is likely the reason why it is […]
The Primum non nocere principle in psychotherapy: A science based approach
Is the principle of primum non nocere, to do no harm, applied by psychotherapists? First, do no harm – a rule that enjoys practically unconditional acceptance by all of human civilization, […]
Rituals Harnessed to Improve Self-control
Problems with following a diet, obesity, the inability to conquer addictions, the absence of a systematic approach to learning, insufficient physical activity, excessive drinking, narcotics dependency, risky sexual behaviours, uncontrolled […]
Psychotherapy Without Makeup: Conversations on Psychotherapy Failures
This is an English title of my new book published last month in Polish. It consists of fourteen interviews – seven of them are my conversations with patients who have […]
Even those participants who claimed pop culture is unimportant suffered psychological ill effects from feeling out of the loop
My next contribution to BPS Research Digest. Enjoy reading! Celebrities are people famous for being famous. Have you ever given any thought to how it happens that pop-culture figures become […]
Thinking Ahead: Susan Blackmore, Diego Fontanive, James Randi, Tomasz Witkowski
This is a video material recorded during the 17th European Skeptics Congress in Poland, 2017 by Diego Fontanive from EOF project. Below you will find his description of this video. […]
When tears turn into pearls: Post-traumatic growth following childhood and adolescent cancer
My next contribution to Research Digest. Enjoy reading! It’s hard to imagine a crueller fate than when a child receives a diagnosis of an illness as difficult as cancer. A […]
Scott Lilienfeld at the ESC’17 – Tunnel Vision: Confirmation Bias from Courtroom to Boardroom to Bedroom
This is a video recording of the lecture given by Scott Lilienfeld during the 17th European Skeptics Congress co-organized by the Polish Skeptics Club. Wroclaw, Poland, 22-24 September 2017. Enjoy! Abstract […]
Skeptical Psychology – panel discussion. Susan Blackmore, Scott Lilienfeld, Zbyněk Vybíral, Tomasz Witkowski
During the 17th European Skeptic Congress which took place in Wroclaw, Poland, 22-24 September 2017 there was a panel discussion devoted to skeptical psychology. Susane Blackmore, Scott Lilienfeld, Zbynek Vybiral […]
People who think they exercise less than their peers die earlier, regardless of their actual activity levels
My next contribution to Research Digest. Enjoy reading! Adjusting for actual physical activity, individuals who perceived themselves as less active than others were up to 71 per cent more likely to […]
“Psychology Gone Wrong” and “Psychology Led Astray” in the “SKEPTIKER”
For all of you who know German I’ve published reviews of my books written by Rouven Schäfer and published in the SKEPTIKER. To read them just click on the link below […]
A Scientist Pushes Psychology Journals toward Open Data
My contribution to the discussion about raw data. Enjoy reading! Article.pdf
New meta-analysis undermines the myth that negative emotions can cause cancer
My next contribution to Research Digest. Enjoy reading! CANCER, GUEST BLOGGER, HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH April 20, 2017 By guest blogger Tomasz Witkowski At least one in four readers of this post will die […]
Psychology Gone Wrong 