Читать книгу Introduction to Abnormal Child and Adolescent Psychology - Robert Weis - Страница 117

Psychological scientists also rely on critical thinking. Rather than accepting information at face value or based on personal beliefs and the opinions of others, scientists seek plausible alternative explanations for behavior. They remain skeptical and always ask, “What is the evidence?”

A lack of critical thinking can be seen in the use of therapeutic touch to treat children with physical illnesses or injuries. Therapeutic touch is based on the belief that humans have an energy field that extends beyond the surface of the body. When this energy field becomes misaligned, unbalanced, or obstructed, we can experience anxiety, depression, pain, or sickness. Practitioners of therapeutic touch claim to be able to assess a patient’s energy field by placing their hands slightly above a person’s skin. If an energy disturbance is detected, the practitioner can rebalance, harmonize, or restore the patient’s energy field using special manipulations.

Therapeutic touch is usually practiced by nurses and other health professionals. It is most often used with children to treat anxiety, asthma, headaches, sleep problems, and chronic pain.

Emily Rosa was skeptical of therapeutic touch (Image 3.2). Although many patients claimed that the practice reduced anxiety and pain, she wondered if these changes might simply be due to patients’ expectations and hopes for symptom reduction. Could practitioners really feel and manipulate someone’s energy field?

Rosa asked therapeutic touch practitioners to perform a simple test (Rosa, Rosa, Sarner, & Barrett, 1998). Each practitioner placed his or her hand under a screen with palms facing upward. Then, Rosa placed her hand immediately above the practitioner’s left or right palm, in random order. If practitioners could detect another person’s energy field, they should be able to “feel” the energy coming from Rosa and select the correct hand 100% of the time. However, the results showed that practitioners identified the correct hand only 44% of the time—worse than flipping a coin. Rosa’s critical thinking discredited the practice of therapeutic touch. Nevertheless, it continues to be offered at hospitals and clinics by well-intentioned paraprofessionals across the country (Schlefman, Rappaport, Adams-Gerdts, & Stubblefield, 2017).

Image courtesy of Linda Rosa and Wikipedia Creative Commons