"Spinning a negative mindfulness therapy study into a published positive study"

[Dolphin]

This is probably a minority interest.
This isn't about ME/CFS specifically. Nor am I posting it because mindfulness is mentioned.

"Spinning a negative mindfulness therapy study into a published positive study"
by James C Coyne PhD
http://jcoynester.wordpress.com/201...herapy-study-into-a-published-positive-study/

Dr Coyne is an influential psychologist who is not afraid to criticise practices in psychology he is not happy with.

Here he talks about a psychology journal who doesn't like to publish null findings (he gives an example of a colleague to whom this happened).

He then gives an example of one study which had null findings by the main outcome measures, but how the investigators data mined/trawled and found something they then started talking about. I found it interesting to see the wording of the spin used.

 

[alex3619]

My suspicion is that repeated publication of only positives results in extreme bias in published studies, with incorrect findings not being seen to be challenged.

 

[A.B.]

My suspicion is that repeated publication of only positives results in extreme bias in published studies, with incorrect findings not being seen to be challenged.

It also creates a narrative that is completely out of touch with reality, with different study groups confirming each others false claims. And when the therapy then doesn't work in practice, of course it's the fault of the patient.

 

[alex3619]

It also creates a narrative that is completely out of touch with reality, with different study groups confirming each others false claims. And when the therapy then doesn't work in practice, of course it's the fault of the patient.

Of course. Its how pseudoscience operates, should things degenerate that far. Their narrative is so internal to their group, that suddenly outsiders cannot be trusted to understand. Then of course you can ignore external criticism. Then you have no reality check at all, and the brakes are off to a one way right to Babbledom. It operates like a cult much more than a scientific discipline. Now its questionable how far down this road most of psychiatry has gone. Its less questionable with respect to BPS and psychogenic medicine.