On the admission of psychologists

© 2006 Paul Cooijmans

Caught in their own lies

Those who have formally studied psychology, or are working in that field, have access to the contents of regular psychological intelligence tests, including the intended answers thereto. This means that their own scores on such tests are no trustworthy reflection of their intelligence.

This causes problems in societies that accept regular psychological tests for admission. I have personally observed several psychologist members in such societies who clearly were not "at the level". Not only does this spoil the atmosphere, but also do they tend to rise to official positions, in particular those relating to the society's admission policy, where they then contribute to its further inflation and dumbing down. They manage to acquire such positions through their background in psychology, which mistakenly lends them authority.

The inevitable conclusion is that societies that wish to use regular psychological tests for admission must not admit psychologists through such tests. Any psychologist applicant must be required to qualify via a more secure test, like a high-range test.

This is not to say that all psychologists are frauds; there may be honest ones too. Only we do not know who is cheating and who is not, and we certainly can not take their word for it that they have not cheated; for we know all too well that psychologists themselves are the first to point out that lying is normal social behaviour, and that "white lies" are acceptable and necessary for social functioning. So in that respect psychologists are, so to speak, caught in their own lies.