Chapter 36: Exercises

Comprehension Check

1. Why is "dark psychology" not a real field of psychology? 2. List three specific NLP claims and the evidence against each. 3. What is the difference between subliminal perception (real) and subliminal persuasion for complex behavior (not supported)? 4. What can hypnosis actually do vs. what the pop version claims? 5. Name Cialdini's six influence principles and describe one piece of evidence for each.

Application

6. Find a "dark psychology" book on Amazon. Apply the toolkit: what specific claims does it make? Does it cite any research? 7. Find an NLP practitioner's website. List their claimed outcomes. Search for evidence supporting each claim. 8. Identify three examples of Cialdini's principles being used in your daily life (marketing, social media, workplace). 9. Apply the toolkit to: "NLP eye patterns reveal when someone is lying." 10. Compare the evidence behind NLP (no support) to the evidence behind Cialdini's principles (well-replicated). Why might the pseudoscience outsell the real science?

Critical Thinking

11. NLP certification costs thousands of dollars. What happens when practitioners learn their training is not evidence-based? 12. Cialdini's principles can be used ethically or manipulatively. Is there a meaningful distinction between "influence" and "manipulation"? Where's the line? 13. The "dark psychology" genre serves a fear market. Is the fear justified? What is the actual risk of being manipulated by someone who read a dark psychology book? 14. Hypnosis has legitimate clinical applications (pain management, anxiety). How should clinical hypnosis be distinguished from stage hypnosis in public understanding? 15. If NLP's one legitimate concept (reframing) is borrowed from CBT, should NLP get credit for popularizing it — or criticism for packaging it with pseudoscience?

Fact-Check Portfolio

16. If any of your 10 claims involve mind control, manipulation, NLP, or influence techniques, apply the chapter's findings and update your evidence rating.