Tomasz Witkowski

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Tomasz Witkowski
250px
Tomasz Witkowski, May 2014.
Born 1963
Poland
Alma mater University of Wrocław
Website
Forbidden Psychology

Tomasz Witkowski (born 1963) is a Polish psychologist, skeptic and science writer. He is known for his unconventional campaigns against pseudoscience.[1][2] He specializes in debunking pseudoscience, particularly in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy, and diagnostics. Witkowski also engages in debates on pseudoscience-related topics, emphasizing scientific skepticism.

Biography

Witkowski studied psychology at the University of Wrocław, graduating in 1988. After graduating, he worked for ten years as a senior lecturer at the same university. He received a Ph.D. in Psychology from the university in 1995.

In addition to his teaching duties at the University of Wroclaw, Witkowski received a scholarship at the University of Bielefeld in 1993, and worked as an researcher at the University of Hildesheim in 1997.[3] From 2004-2007, after leaving the University of Wroclaw, he lectured at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. He is also the founder of the Klub Sceptyków Polskich (Polish Skeptics Club).

Witkowski has authored several books, over 40 scientific articles, and over 100 popular science articles.[3] His scientific articles have been published in journals including the British Journal of Social Psychology, Polish Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Social Psychology, Skeptical Inquirer, and The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice.[4][5] Recently, he finished writing a book entitled Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy. Co-written with Maciej Zatonshi, it was published in 2015 by BrownWalker Press.[6]

Witkowski is frequently contacted by the media to comment on alleged frauds and abuses in psychology, psychotherapy, and other areas of scientific activity.[7][8][9]

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

Sokal-style hoax

In 2007, Witkowski repeated the Sokal hoax. He managed to publish an article on morphic resonance in the psychology journal Charaktery. Most of the 'facts' in the article were completely false. The journal's editors checked the data and actively 'helped' to write the article, by proposing to add to it pirated excerpts from an old review of Rupert Sheldrake.[11] The hoax received publicity from the James Randi Educational Foundation,[12] as well as other science bloggers.[13][14]

Psychology is Science not Witchcraft campaign

File:Psychologia Falanster wroc.JPG
Witkowski (right) and fellow skeptics at a 2012 protest of abuses in psychology.

In March 2012, Witkowski and fellow Polish Skeptics Club members organized and coordinated a campaign in Poland called "Psychology is Science not Witchcraft." The campaign was aimed at publicizing the notion that many projective diagnostic tests have poor or no validity. It also sought to raise concerns among professional psychologists who still use such tests exclusively in clinical diagnosis or in legal proceedings.[15] Information about the campaign was publicized by major nationwide journals, newspapers, and radio stations, as well as on the largest Polish Internet portals.

Over 140 people from nine large non-governmental organizations took part in a four-day protest. Scientists, lecturers, and students wore T-shirts featuring Rorschach inkblots and the campaign's slogan at their universities, in their workplaces, and on the streets. The campaign also organized a number of open lectures and other events. Finally, they published Rorschach inkblots in the Polish-language version of Wikipedia.[16]

Views

Witkowski is a staunch critic of the scientific validity of concepts like neuro-linguistic programming,[17] Adult Children of Alcoholics syndrome,[18] and 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

In English

  • Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy Boca Raton, FL: BrownWalker Press, (2015)

In Polish

  • Psychologia konfliktów. Praktyka radzenia sobie ze sporami (1995)
  • Nowoczesne metody doboru i oceny personelu ed., (1998)
  • Psychomanipulacje. Jak je rozpoznawać i jak sobie z nimi radzić (2000)
  • Psychologia kłamstwa. Motywy, strategie, narzędzia (2002)
  • Podręcznik trenera (2004)
  • Inteligencja makiaweliczna. Rzecz o pochodzeniu natury ludzkiej (2005)
  • Dobór personelu. Koncepcje, narzędzia, konteksty ed., (2007)
  • Psychologia dla trenerów (2008)
  • Zakazana psychologia. Tom pierwszy (2009)
  • Zakazana psychologia. Tom drugi (2013)

Significant public appearances

File:Tomasz Witkowski, Stocholm, 2013.JPG
Tomasz Witkowski lecturing at the 15th European Skeptics Congress 2013.
  • 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.
  • Witkowski, T., (September 2010) Fashionable nonsense still in fashion. Psychological Sokal-style hoax. XIV European Sceptics Congress, Budapest.

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. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Test Rorschacha, Retrieved 23 October 2014[better source needed]
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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