The goal of this article is to promote clear thinking and clear writing among students and teachers of psychological science by curbing terminological misinformation and confusion. To this end, we present a provisional list of 50 commonly used terms in psychology, psychiatry, and allied fields that should be avoided, or at most used sparingly and with explicit caveats. We provide corrective information for students, instructors, and researchers regarding these terms, which we organize for expository purposes into five categories: inaccurate or misleading terms, frequently misused terms, ambiguous terms, oxymorons, and pleonasms. For each term, we (a) explain why it is problematic, (b) delineate one or more examples of its misuse, and (c) when pertinent, offer recommendations for preferable terms. By being more judicious in their use of terminology, psychologists and psychiatrists can foster clearer thinking in their students and the field at large regarding mental phenomena.
Some animals are more equal than others Vox.com 1 day ago
How can you love some animals but eat others?
It’s a question posed frequently by vegan activists, often accompanied by a picture of a cute dog or cat juxtaposed with an equally adorable pig or cow.
Yet, as compelling as the argument may be to activists, the meat-heavy diet of most Americans reveals that the public remains untroubled by the question. Or, as one popular meme argues in response, “Because one is a friend and one is bacon.”
Despite Americans’ food preferences, most of us like to think of ourselves as animal lovers there’s about one cat or dog for every 2.4 people and many Americans can even express pretty radical views about animal rights, at least when pollsters call.