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Tomasz Witkowski

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Tomasz Witkowski, May 2014

Tomasz Witkowski (born 1963) is a Polish psychologist and science writer. He is known because of his unconventional campaigns aimed against pseudoscience.[1][2] He specializes in debunking pseudoscience, particularly in the field of psychology, psychotherapy, and diagnosis. Witkowski engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience in which he emphasizes scientific skepticism.

Biography

Witkowski studied psychology at University of Wrocław and after graduating he worked as a senior lecturer at the same university from 1988 to 1998. In 1993, he received a scholarship at University of Bielefeld and in 1997 he worked as an researcher at University of Hildesheim.[3] From 2004 to 2007 he lectured at University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He is the founder of the Klub Sceptyków Polskich (Polish Skeptics Club).

Witkowski authored several books, over 40 scientific articles and over a 100 of popular science articles.[3] He published scientific articles in British Journal of Social Psychology, Polish Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Social Psychology, Skeptical Inquirer and The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.[4][5] Translation of the first part of his trilogy Zakazana psychologia will be published in January 2015 by BrownWalker Press under the title Psychology Gone Wrong. The dark Sides of Science and Therapy.[6]

As an expert in science-pseudoscience issues, he is frequently called by the media to comment on frauds and abuses witnessed in psychology, psychotherapy and other areas of scientific activity.[7][8][9]

He is a recipient of the Rationalist of the Year, an award of the Polskie Stowarzyszenie Racjonalistów (Polish Society of Rationalists).[3][10]

Sokal-style hoax

Tomasz Witkowski, has replayed the Sokal hoax. He has managed to publish, in a psychology journal Charaktery, an article on morphic resonance. Most of the `facts’ in the article were completely false. Not only did the journal Editors check the data, but they actively `helped’ to write the article, by proposing to add to it pirated excerpts from and old review of Rupert Sheldrake. A journal boasting more than twelve professors and PhDs in its board, actively worked to make the hoax `better’.[citation needed] About the hoax wrote James Randi Educational Foundation[11] as well as other science bloggers.[12][13]

Psychology is Science not Witchcraft campaign

In March 2012 Witkowski together with the Polish Skeptic Club members organized and coordinated in Poland campaign aimed to explain to the public that many projective tests of psychological diagnosis have poor or no validity as well as to raise concerns among professional psychologists who still use such tests alone in clinical diagnosis or in legal proceedings[14]. Information about this campaign was published in major influential nationwide journals, newspapers, radio stations, and on the largest Polish Internet portals. Over 140 people from nine large non-government organizations took part in the protest. Scientists, lecturers and students wore T-shirts with Rorschach inkblot and the slogan of the campaign on it for four days at universities, in their workplaces, and on the streets. Many open lectures and other events were organized within the campaign. They also published Rorschach inkblots in the Polish language version of the Wikipedia.[15]

Views

Witkowski is a staunch critic of the scientific validity of concepts like NLP,[16] Adult Children of Alcoholics syndrome[17] or projective tests.[5]

Works

Significant journal articles

  • Witkowski, T., & Stiensmeier-Pelster, J. (1998) Performance Deficits following Failure: Learned Helplessness or Self-esteem Protection? British Journal of Social Psychology. 37, 59-71.
  • Tomasz Witkowski: Thirty-Five Years of Research on Neuro-Linguistic Programmin. NLP Research Data Base. State of the Art or Pseudoscientific Decoration?, Polish Psychological Bulletin, 2010, vol 41 (2), s. 58-66.
  • Witkowski, T., (2010) History of the Open Letter in Defence of Reason. Sceptical Inquirer, 34.
  • Tomasz Witkowski: Psychological Sokal-style hoax, The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practices, 2011, vol. 8 (1), s. 50-60.
  • Tomasz Witkowski: A Review of Research Findings on Neuro-Linguistic Programming, The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, 2012, vol. 9 (1), s. 29-40.
  • Witkowski, T., & Zatonski, M. (2013). The ‘Psychology is Science not Witchcraft’ Campaign. Skeptical Inquirer, 57(4), 50-53.
  • Tomasz Witkowski, Maciej Zatoński: In Twenty-First-Century Europe Public Prosecutor Appoints Clairvoyant as Expert Witness, Skeptical Inquirer, September/October 2013, s. 7.
  • Witkowski, T. (2013). Letter to Editor. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 44(4), 462-464.

Books

Authorship

  • Psychomanipulacje. Jak je rozpoznawać i jak sobie z nimi radzić (2000)
  • Psychologia kłamstwa. Motywy, strategie, narzędzia (2002)
  • Inteligencja makiaweliczna. Rzecz o pochodzeniu natury ludzkiej (2005)
  • Zakazana psychologia. Tom pierwszy (2009)
  • Zakazana psychologia. Tom drugi (2013)

Co-authorship

  • Psychologia konfliktów. Praktyka radzenia sobie ze sporami (1995)
  • Podręcznik trenera (2004)
  • Psychologia dla trenerów (2008)

Significant public apperaances

  • Witkowski, T. (August, 2013). Is Psychology a Cargo Cult Science? 15th European Skeptics Congress in Stockholm, Sweden. video
  • Witkowski, T., (May 2012) Pseudoscience in teaching of psychology. The most dangerous myths, frauds and urban legends. VI World Sceptics Congress Promoting Science in Age of Uncertainty, Berlin.

Notes

  1. ^ Witkowski, T., & Zatonski, M. (2013). The ‘Psychology is Science not Witchcraft’ Campaign. Skeptical Inquirer, 57(4), 50-53.
  2. ^ Witkowski, T., (2011) Psychological Sokal-style hoax. The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practices. Vol. 8 nr 1, s. 50-60.
  3. ^ a b c Rada Naukowa, retrieved 21 October 2014
  4. ^ Świątek, Jarosław. "Tomasz Witkowski rzuca rękawicę NLP". Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b Witkowski, Tomasz (2009), Zakazana psychologia (in Polish), Taszów: Moderator
  6. ^ Witkowski, Tomasz. "First reviews of our book". Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  7. ^ "Forbidden Psychology with Tomasz Witowski". Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  8. ^ "SkeptisCH - Folge 27: Sind Sozialwissenschaften Pseudowissenschaft? - Skeptiker Schweiz". Skeptiker Schweiz. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  9. ^ Redefine. "Nie ma żartów - Tomasz Witkowski". ipla.tv. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  10. ^ Witkowski, Tomasz. "About me". Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  11. ^ James Randi. "SWIFT December 21, 2007". Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  12. ^ Ray Girvan. "Poor Pothecary". Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  13. ^ Wanderer in the country of blindfolded. "Random journeys through Science". Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  14. ^ "„Psychologia to nauka, nie czary"". 27 February 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  15. ^ "Test Rorschacha". Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  16. ^ Witkowski, Tomasz (14 March 2011), "Thirty-Five Years of Research on Neuro-Linguistic Programming. NLP Research Data Base. State of the Art or Pseudoscientific Decoration?", Polish Psychological Bulletin, 41 (2): 58–66, doi:10.2478/v10059-010-0008-0
  17. ^ Głowacka, Karolina (13 May 2013). ""W psychologii jest mnóstwo szarlatanerii, wróżenia z fusów. Trzeba zdemaskować niecne praktyki" [WYWIAD]". Retrieved 21 October 2014.

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