From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npois!cbosgd!nscs!jpj Newsgroups: net.misc Title: Re: REAL Sciences Don"t Eat Quiche (reply) Article-I.D.: nscs.160 Posted: Fri Jun 18 09:50:05 1982 Received: Sun Jun 20 05:48:49 1982 References: utzoo.2184 Indeed, Psychology, like all other forms of Human Endeavor is prone to error. That, in and of itself, is not damning. What *is* alarming, as Ms Creighton points out, is the unquestioning acceptance (read: Faith) that the public puts in psychology and its practitioners. Leaving aside the damage that can be done in a clinical setting, the June issue of "Science 82" contains several articles describing the growing use of "forensic psychology." Here the public's faith in the absolute judgement of an *extremely* inexact science is taken to its ultimate, tragic consequence. The use of *expert witnesses* to speak on the state of mind of a defendent in a capital case is a very risky business. As the article pointed out, even most psychologists are uncomfortable with the public's (and the court's) view of psychology's role in criminal justice. What is needed, both here and in many other arenas of public life, is a sense of healthy skepticism - founded in an understanding of the limitations involved. Jim Jenal BTL/CB