Chapter 37: Exercises

Comprehension Check

1. List the 5 steps of the self-help book evaluation framework. 2. What are three green flags and three red flags for author credentials? 3. What is the difference between citing research and being based on research? 4. List four warning signs of pseudoscientific self-help. 5. Name three evidence-based self-help books from the recommended list and their evidence base.

Application

6. Choose three self-help books from your shelf (or a bookstore). Apply the 5-step framework to each. How do they compare? 7. Find the most popular self-help book on Amazon this week. Apply the framework. Does it pass? 8. Compare the bibliography of an evidence-based self-help book (e.g., Burns' Feeling Good) to a bestselling non-evidence-based one. What differences do you notice in citation quality and quantity? 9. Apply the "warning signs of pseudoscience" checklist to a self-help influencer's content. How many signs are present? 10. Recommend an evidence-based self-help book to a friend for a specific concern they have. Explain why you chose it over alternatives.

Critical Thinking

11. The evaluation framework may exclude some genuinely helpful books by non-credentialed authors. How should consumers weigh credentials against other indicators of quality? 12. Self-help books that promise modest results ("this may help some people with mild depression") sell fewer copies than those promising transformation. How can evidence-based self-help compete? 13. Should bookstores or online retailers distinguish between evidence-based and non-evidence-based self-help? 14. This book is itself a form of self-help. Apply the evaluation framework to it. What score does it earn? 15. If a self-help book produces genuine placebo benefits (the reader feels better because they believe the book works, even though the specific claims are unsupported), does this count as "working"?

Fact-Check Portfolio

16. For each of your 10 claims, identify the source. Apply the self-help evaluation framework to any book-sourced claims. Update your evidence rating.