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It is hard to figure out from this verbose article, whether it is just professional jealousy or a genuine need to debunk the theory of assigning colours to pers

by 45ure 7y ago

It is hard to figure out from this verbose article, whether it is just professional jealousy or a genuine need to debunk the theory of assigning colours to personality types, as described in the book titled Surrounded by idiots. The crux of the argument is that a professional psychologist, who is also a member Swedish Skeptics Society, is refuting the author's claim of being a 'behavioural scientist', yet he admits that it is a meaningless term and also legal in Sweden. Erikson e-mailed me (we both shared the same international agent, so we had met briefly once before) and asked whether, given my own profession as a psychologist and my position as a board member of the Swedish Skeptics Society, I would support his claim that he was a ‘behavioural scientist’. I declined to offer such support, despite the fact that from a legal point of view in Sweden, it is possible to call yourself a ‘behavioural scientist’ without any formal qualifications. He has just as much right as my poodle to call himself a behavioural scientist.

Nursie 7y ago
He also points out that the theory has no evidence behind it, that it appears to be based on an older theory, also completely unevidenced, and that that older theory draws on discredited Jungian archetypes. To read this purely as an attack on someone's credentials out of jealousy is to have missed the meat of the criticism.
- 45ure 7y ago
  I stated quite clearly, that it is hard to work out the intention of the article. The professional psychologist in question seems to be spending an awful amount of energy dispelling a theory that has been already discredited. There is an unhealthy fixation on the circulation and sales of the book, throughout the article. It is now a futile exercise to convince the readership if it is drivel and providing the book with even more publicity. They will come to a realization of their own accord and banish the book to the kooky category.
  - acqq 7y ago
    No. It's clearly written: "Despite the use of colours, it turned out that the “Surrounded by …” books were not based on Myers-Brigg. Instead, they built on another personality theory, the so-called DiSC model. The most noteworthy outcome of a search through the academic literature on this model was that, despite the fact that the test had been around for fifty years, there was in principle no research on whether or not it worked." "According to Sune Gellberg, the owner of IPU, the organisation in Sweden which sell the DiSC test, no qualifications are required to carry out personality tests. “I don’t know what education our consultants have because it doesn’t matter”, he told us, “It is a computer program that does the personality analysis and gives the consultant a report which he can go through with the respondent.” Not even the representative for the test thinks that knowledge of psychology is important! Personality consultants have no education in test methodology and no knowledge of personality theory. They just feed in numbers to a computer and have no idea what the results mean or what their scientific value is. It is very possible that Erikson believes that the test has scientific grounds and, given his lack of education, it is very likely that he has no idea what it actually says. "
    - 45ure 7y ago
      There is no disagreement with Mr. Dan Katz's views; the licensed psychologist and psychotherapist, whose words make up the article. He suitably hammers home his point that the content of the books is nothing more than airport science, as he openly rages against the profession of 'behavioural scientist'. He also mentions the book sales, conferences, TV appearances, bestseller lists and ever increasing circulation of the books etc. I get it. He feels passionate and sees a charlatan, who is hitching a free ride on the back of his respected profession and getting the rockstar treatment. These compendium of books could have effectively been languishing under the sections of new age, self-help, therapy etc., except they hit home with a certain audience. Now that he has vented his spleen, what more does he hope to achieve, especially under the circumstances that there are no laws or regulation in place to curb any of the activities. Also, by continuing to rage against it, he only brings more welcome publicity for the author and his books.
      - acqq 7y ago

by 45ure 7y ago

Nursie 7y ago

He also points out that the theory has no evidence behind it, that it appears to be based on an older theory, also completely unevidenced, and that that older theory draws on discredited Jungian archetypes. To read this purely as an attack on someone's credentials out of jealousy is to have missed the meat of the criticism.

45ure 7y ago
I stated quite clearly, that it is hard to work out the intention of the article. The professional psychologist in question seems to be spending an awful amount of energy dispelling a theory that has been already discredited. There is an unhealthy fixation on the circulation and sales of the book, throughout the article. It is now a futile exercise to convince the readership if it is drivel and providing the book with even more publicity. They will come to a realization of their own accord and banish the book to the kooky category.
- acqq 7y ago
  No. It's clearly written: "Despite the use of colours, it turned out that the “Surrounded by …” books were not based on Myers-Brigg. Instead, they built on another personality theory, the so-called DiSC model. The most noteworthy outcome of a search through the academic literature on this model was that, despite the fact that the test had been around for fifty years, there was in principle no research on whether or not it worked." "According to Sune Gellberg, the owner of IPU, the organisation in Sweden which sell the DiSC test, no qualifications are required to carry out personality tests. “I don’t know what education our consultants have because it doesn’t matter”, he told us, “It is a computer program that does the personality analysis and gives the consultant a report which he can go through with the respondent.” Not even the representative for the test thinks that knowledge of psychology is important! Personality consultants have no education in test methodology and no knowledge of personality theory. They just feed in numbers to a computer and have no idea what the results mean or what their scientific value is. It is very possible that Erikson believes that the test has scientific grounds and, given his lack of education, it is very likely that he has no idea what it actually says. "
  - 45ure 7y ago
    There is no disagreement with Mr. Dan Katz's views; the licensed psychologist and psychotherapist, whose words make up the article. He suitably hammers home his point that the content of the books is nothing more than airport science, as he openly rages against the profession of 'behavioural scientist'. He also mentions the book sales, conferences, TV appearances, bestseller lists and ever increasing circulation of the books etc. I get it. He feels passionate and sees a charlatan, who is hitching a free ride on the back of his respected profession and getting the rockstar treatment. These compendium of books could have effectively been languishing under the sections of new age, self-help, therapy etc., except they hit home with a certain audience. Now that he has vented his spleen, what more does he hope to achieve, especially under the circumstances that there are no laws or regulation in place to curb any of the activities. Also, by continuing to rage against it, he only brings more welcome publicity for the author and his books.
    - acqq 7y ago