"Psychoneuroimmunology of cancer: tooth fairy science?"

alex3619

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I have a vague memory this was posted before, or at least mentioned in passing. Coyne is always worth listening to though. I will watch it yet again and may say something again, but not until I have had some sleep.
 

A.B.

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Tooth fairy science seeks explanations for things before establishing that those things actually exist.
I'm pretty sure that applies to the concept of psychosomatic illness in general.

Tooth fairy scientists mistakenly think that if they have collected data that is consistent with their hypothesis, then they have collected data that confirms their hypothesis.
Well put. This applies to the fallacy of psychogenic inference and in general to the modus operandi of the Wessely school.

I hope Coyne decides to take a look at the psychosocial model of ME/CFS some day. Preferably before the phase-III Rituximab trial silently kills the field.
 
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Bob

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Tooth fairy scientists mistakenly think that if they have collected data that is consistent with their hypothesis, then they have collected data that confirms their hypothesis.
And if the tooth fairy 'scientists' have collected data that is inconsistent with their hypothesis, aka 'PACE', then they still claim that their hypothesis had been confirmed.
 

Kyla

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And if the tooth fairy 'scientists' have collected data that is inconsistent with their hypothesis, aka 'PACE', then they still claim that their hypothesis had been confirmed.
Yep...he actually directly addresses that here:
•Present negative findings as if positive in subsequent publications and exaggerate findings that are positive.


● Assess multiple endpoints and treat any significant finding as if it were a replication of past findings.


●Create a false consensus and seeming unanimity in the literature by cherrypicking findings that can be construed as positive and ignoring the rest.
:)
 

Kyla

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I have a vague memory this was posted before, or at least mentioned in passing. Coyne is always worth listening to though. I will watch it yet again and may say something again, but not until I have had some sleep.
Hmmm...I searched and couldn't find another thread on it.
His slides on "negative emotions and health" have definitely been discussed here before.
 
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I hope Coyne decides to take a look at the psychosocial model of ME/CFS some day.
We were talking about Coyne before and he has made statements on Twitter about PACE that suggest he is fully on top of this. Would be nice to see something in depth though, I agree.