Syllabus for Roster(s):

  • 16F PSYC 4559-003 (CGAS)
In the UVaCollab course site:   16F Pseudoscience

Course Description (for SIS)

Why do people believe unreasonable things? This is the general topic that we will investigate in this course. We will study the nature of evidential relations between claims, the characteristics of sound reasoning, distinctions between science and pseudoscience, and common heuristics, biases, and cognitive fallacies. Throughout the course we will study specific examples of pseudoscience, consider their societal impact, and use psychological science to explain their origin and perpetuation.