The self-help program The Secret assumes that positive thoughts can directly affect physical events in the universe to produce success and other positive outcomes. When a person who is not cured after using its approach, the program attributes the failure to the idea that "God had other plans" for the person. From a scientific perspective, the program's explanation for therapeutic failure shows that it is using:
A) standards of evidence and quality reasoning to decide about program efficacy.
B) supernatural entities that provide strong support that the treatment is effective.
C) predictions about the program that are vague, untestable, and not falsifiable.
D) negative testimonials to show that the program is not a pseudoscience.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The program's explanation for therapeutic failure is not based on evidence or quality reasoning, nor does it involve supernatural entities providing support for the treatment's effectiveness. Instead, it relies on vague, untestable, and unfalsifiable predictions about the program's outcomes. This is a hallmark of pseudoscientific thinking. Negative testimonials would be unlikely to demonstrate that the program is not a pseudoscience, as anecdotes alone cannot disprove a claim.

The Self-Help Program the Secret Assumes That Positive Thoughts Can