PSYC 3326 The Psychology of Pseudoscience

Why do intelligent people believe such weird things? Even things with seemingly no scientific merit? This course examines pseudoscience through the lens of neuroscientific and psychological principlesexploring cognitive biases, memory fallibility, motivational reasoning, and other processes that shape our belief in the zany and fringe. Students will apply theory and research methods to evaluate claims ranging from the paranormal to health misinformation. This course emphasizes critical thinking, empirical reasoning, and science communication to better equip students with the skills to better explain and debunk pseudoscience.

Course overview

Department: Psychology and Neuroscience
School: MCAS
Credits: 3
Level: Undergraduate
Offered: Periodically

Catalog details

Prerequisites: PSYC1110 and PSYC1111 or MCPS1111

Catalog text is imported from the reviewed Boston College course snapshot. Confirm eligibility in EagleApps.

Requirements fulfilled

Applied Psychology and Human Development: Major electives — any Psychology (PSYC) or Sociology (SOCY) course (no more than two electives from outside LSEHD) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)

Requirement eligibility can vary by school, cohort, and section. Confirm the selected section in EagleApps or with an advisor.

Data freshness

Course and evaluation data last updated 2026-10-09. Source details and limitations are documented in Data Sources and Methodology.

Instructors

Kaitlyn Dorst
Spring 2027

Sections

Section 01
Spring 2027 · Kaitlyn Dorst · Higgins Hall 310 MWF 11:00AM-11:50AM · Offered