House of Cards [Paperback]

Robyn Dawes (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 1996

Robin Dawes spares no one in this powerful critique of modern psychotherapeutic practice. As Dawes points out, we have all been swayed by the "pop psych" view of the world--believing, for example, that self-esteem is an essential precursor to being a productive human being, that events in one's childhood affect one's fate as an adult, and that "you have to love yourself before you can love another.".

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Dawes (social and decision sciences, Carnegie Mellon Univ.) presents a strong argument, based on empirical research, that psychotherapy is largely a shill game. He argues that while studies have shown that empathetic therapy is often helpful to people in emotional distress, there is no evidence that licensed psychologists or psychiatrists are any better at performing therapy than minimally trained laypeople. Nor are psychologists or psychiatrists any better at predicting future behavior than the average person--a disturbing conclusion when one contemplates the influence such "experts" have on the U.S. judicial system. While other books have criticized the psychologizing of our society, none has been so sweeping or so convincingly argued. This book raises such important societal issues that all academic and public libraries have a duty to make a permanent place for it on their shelves.
- Mary Ann Hughes, Neill P.L., Pullman, Wash.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684830914
• ISBN-13: 978-0684830919
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #857,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book, and a must for therapists. November 23, 1998

By Michael Kaan

Format:Paperback

I am a therapist myself, so I naturally began reading this book with trepidation. But instead of the blanket attack I expected, I found instead a very carefully written book that exposes that deeply flawed foundations to much of current psychotherapy, pop psychology, and professional reputation. I read this book at a time in my own career when a respect for science and the need for verifiable information were re-emerging, and House of Cards has provided me with a number of insights and tools that have helped me to provide therapy that is more effective and that avoids pie-in-the-sky promises or beliefs. Dawes is right: although therapy is not a science itself, it should be founded on scientific knowledge.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Step in the Correct Direction August 8, 2002

By Richard J. Brzostek VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

House of Cards: Psychology and Psychotherapy Built on Myth by Robyn M. Dawes, critically examines Clinical Psychology and exposes facts that many psychologists would rather have hidden. The author is an Experimental Psychologist and the 1990 winner of the APA William James Award. He is very bold in trying to uphold the truth and convincingly demonstrates what the title suggests.

Perhaps the most striking issue covered in this book is the discussion on studies that evaluate the efficacy of psychotherapy. In 1977, Mary Smith and Gene Glass published an article in American Psychologist which found that on a statistical level, psychotherapy works. Not that everyone improved, or no one got worse from treatment, but on a statistical level people were better off on the measure examined than someone chosen at random. Smith and Glass also found that the therapists' credentials (Ph.D., M.D., or no advanced degree), the therapists' experience, the type of therapy given (with the possible exception of behavioral techniques for well circumscribed behavioral problems), and the length of therapy were unrelated to the effectiveness/success of the therapy.

As Dawes states:

"In the years after the Smith and Glass article was published, many attempts were made to disprove their finding that the training, credentials, and experience of therapists are irrelevant. These attempts failed. (p.55)"

Very few books written by psychologists try to realistically look at psychology's flaws. Although psychology pays lip service to the concept of critically examining its tenants, it is seldom done. Mainstream psychology often dismisses books such as this one in passing as "harsh criticism" and ignores the message they offer.

25 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for consumers and practitioners of mental health February 5, 2003

By Jason Sikorski

Format:Paperback

Robyn Dawes, in the House of Cards, takes great pains to carefully document the most common and dangerous myths that underlie the fields of mental health treatment. The author's writings are firmly grounded in research, and the conceptual integrations are presented in a manner that is easy to understand for both the students of mental health related disciplines, consumers of mental health, and the seasoned mental health professional. In this book, Dawes models one of the central goals of college education; the value of critical analysis. Further, she sets the stage for mental health professionals to behave in a manner that is consistent with the research, and thus finally hold themselves accountable for the work they do with clients. A magnificent book with wide ranging implications for mental health professionals and their consumers. Pay attention, this book is the real truth about the approaches used to alleviate the suffering of clients of mental health professionals. Be accountable!!!

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Defining "Psychology" (and Diagnoses) Down January 19, 2006

By J. Chappuis

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Robin Dawes is a genius and one of the most original thinkers in any field. His work was a primary source for my own Ph.D. dissertation. Unfortunately, clinical psychology has morphed into a hodgepodge of political leftism and Oprah-style "feelings" that has barely any resemblance to science. Compounding all of this is the competition for money as (far too many) psych grads look for a way to earn a living. Completely normal human responses to everyday living are defined as pathological and needing "professional intervention." Meanwhile, criminal and evil behavior is also considered for "therapy" when, in fact, jail is the only reasonable "treatment" needed. Finally, political correctness pervades the whole, especially the care of children. So instead of getting the pot-smoking 30-year-old mother of 5 children by 5 different men to see that her behavior is hurting her kids, the kids are given labels (ADHD, ODD, Bipolar, etc.) and drugs, including antipsychotics, as early as age 2 years. Meanwhile, the therapy train steams right along...

48 of 67 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The other side? April 23, 2002

By Chris Hansen

Format:Paperback

Perhaps things have changed remarkably in the ten years since Dawes had written this book. In my studies of the practice of therapy I have become familiar with a preponderance of the research that has been cited in this text. However, in my opinion, this is a very narrow spectrum of the research availiable on the effectiveness of therapy.

Mr. Dawes, in his text, forgets to mention a number of empirical findings that support the effectiveness of psychotherapy. I wonder at this. It is not as if he had to look these up individually, they are standard course work in any graduate program of psychology. Further, although Mr. Dawes frequently discusses research methodology, he fails to acknowledge that individuals with more severe pathology are less likely to be served by the lay person. In other words, modern psychology has been shown to be more effective than your wise aunts advice, even when you are comparing problems that differ in magnitude.

I am troubled by many of the conclusions that Mr. Dawes has made based on research performed on professions other than psychology. For example, Mr. Dawes contends medical school interviews are similar in nature to therapy - I can't see how he could possibly hope to support this. I feel the same about parol hearings or the many examples he gives from psychiatry. While psychiatrists may work in mental health settings, they obtain little or no formal training in psychotherapy and certainly constitute an experimental confound. Further, Mr. Dawes goes as far to say all psychotherapy is about building self esteem and that all therapists are more motivated by their clinical judgement than by research findings.... Considering that Dawes argues for utilizing empirical findings in psychotherapy - you would hope he was insightful enough to avoid these types of sweeping, emotive arguments.

In general, some forms of therapy have been shown to be less effective than others. Some therapists still cling to these and to their professional judgement. However, a modern curriculum in psychology will include several advanced statistics courses as well as numerous research and methodology classes. Many modern psychologists line their bookshelves with empirically proven treatments - and use them. Further, there is a growing movement to keep data to show the effectiveness of interventions within individual treatment. Modern psychologists are sophisticated researchers and possess the requisite tools to both analyze and implement new interventions to track, assess, and encourage change. Mr. Dawes would do well to consider the arsenal of tools available to the average psychologist and then consider the assessment, nosologic, and diagnostic ineptitude common in the medical sciences before again making these comparisions.

That Mr. Dawes has raised some valid points is not an issue. Most of these are points that are frequently discussed within the field of psychology to monitor strengths and weaknesses. However, many of the claims Mr. Dawes makes are more a factor of popular culture than the actual practice of psychology, are based on dated publications, or are unsupported opinions that fly in the face of his very thesis of objective empirical reasoning. As a result of this, I find Mr. Dawes arguments to be one sided, his research to be incomplete, and some of his conclusions to be rather naive. Read more ›