The term is often used in a pejorative fashion to describe psychological concepts that appear oversimplified, out of date, unproven, misunderstood or misinterpreted; however, the term may also be used to describe professionally produced psychological knowledge, regarded by most experts as valid and effective, that is intended for use by the general public.
[5] According to Fried and Schultis, criteria for a good self-help book include "claims made by the author as to the book's efficacy, the presentation of problem-solving strategies based on scientific evidence and professional experience, the author's credentials and professional experience, and the inclusion of a bibliography.
"[6] Three potential dangers of self-help books are:[7] The misuse and overuse of technical psychological terms is called psychobabble.
Sometimes psychological jargon is used to dress up sales pitches, self-help programs, and New Age ideas to lend these endeavors a respectable scientific appearance.
Some terms that have an origin in psychological terminology and are typically misused include co-dependent, dysfunctional, meaningful relationship, narcissistic, antisocial, traumatic bonding, synergy, and gaslighting.
Early movements in the history of American psychology can explain the importance our culture places on the field at large.
In a similar attempt in 1895, E. W. Scripture, another American psychologist, published a book, called Thinking, Feeling, Doing, that was adapted for the average reader.
[9][10][11] In a similar attempt to inform the public, the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis included (among others) presentations from G. Stanley Hall, Edward B. Titchener, Mary Whiton Calkins, John B. Watson, and Adolph Meyer.
[13] Despite the disagreements, popular culture grasped onto the implications in the field of applied psychology with the hope that the research could improve their lives.
[8]: 943 Soon, public demand for psychological services and information grew so fierce that the availability of legitimate research and real psychologists became insufficient.
The American Psychological Association (APA) responded with an effort to establish official certifications for trained psychologists.
This discrepancy between the public sector and academia supported the popular belief that professional psychologists were not interested in solving America's problems.
Having common language to describe a difficult situation can help people more effectively communicate their concerns and garner support, but these terms can just as easily be weaponized.