New Pop Psychology Book by SIUE Professor and Best-Selling Author  

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Stephen Hupp, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology, and best-selling author, Richard Wiseman, teamed up to publish a book called Investigating Pop Psychology: Pseudoscience, Fringe Science, and Controversies. The book covers topics such as horoscopes, demonic possession, and extrasensory perception (ESP).

“The best thing about the book is the amazing list of authors we found to write each chapter,” said Hupp. “For example, Steven Novella, neurologist and host of the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe podcast, wrote a chapter on alternative medicine.”

The book has many other notable contributors including Indre Viskontas, cognitive neuroscientist and co-host of the Inquiring Minds podcast, who wrote a chapter on brain training products. Karen Stollznow, linguist and co-host of the Monster Talk podcast, wrote a chapter on risqué encounters with ghosts. Additionally, SIUE’s Thad Meeks, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, wrote a chapter on aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).

“I’m equally excited about the co-editor of this book,” said Hupp. “In addition to his popular YouTube channel Quirkology, Richard Wiseman has co-authored another book called David Copperfield’s History of Magic with history’s most successful magician.”

Investigating Pop Psychology is the first book in a larger series that will tackle the most intriguing and controversial issues in psychology.

“This impressive body of work will examine claims associated with almost every area of psychology, including social psychology, personality, learning, and dreaming,” Wiseman wrote in an introduction to the series. “Together, it will form an invaluable and highly practical resource for those working in a variety of applied settings, including education, psychotherapy, business, and the courtroom. Perhaps most important of all, this series will illustrate how we can all come to believe what isn't so, emphasize the important role that scientific research plays in helping to sort fact from fiction, and demonstrate how popular psychology has influenced world history and personal lives alike.”

Published by Routledge, Investigating Pop Psychology is available through many major book sellers including Amazon at amazon.com/Investigating-Pop-Psychology-Pseudoscience-Controversies/dp/0367609940/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1669742067&sr=1-1.

The School of Education, Health and Human Behavior prepares students in a wide range of fields, including public health, exercise science, nutrition, instructional technology, psychology, speech-language pathology and audiology, educational administration, and teaching and learning. Faculty members engage in leading-edge research, which enhances teaching and enriches the educational experience. The School supports the community through on-campus clinics, outreach to children and families, and a focused commitment to enhancing individual lives across the region.

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