Name
Capella University
PSYC FPX 3002 Developing a Psychology Perspective
Prof. Name
December, 2024
10 Common Myths About Therapy: Evaluating a Web Source
Currency
The currency of the web source, which contains the information about “10 Common Myths About Therapy”, has to be considered because the topic of mental health practice and research is developing constantly. Currency looks at current as to whether the content being used is recent both about the state of affairs in the field or the current research and knowledge on the subject the content focuses on. In some cases, misconceptions could stem from stereotyped go-down philosophies that may be pale or unsuitable to current processes known as psychological practice, research, and ethics culture today (Menz, 2021). For instance, up to some time in the past, people regarded therapy as a treatment exclusive for mentally ill patients. This is not the case anymore due to a far broader meaning given to therapy benefits in personal development, stress regulation, and overall well-being. Any good web source should clearly show the date the article was written or last reviewed. As such, it may not be very useful to have content that is not dated as it might be developed based on outdated theories and therapeutic approaches that do not consider the present literature. Innovative areas which include teletherapy, mindfulness in therapy, or culture-based therapy may not make the list if the source being used is old. This is particularly so because the authenticity of the information given in the article may not be accurate, and therefore should be crosschecked with other more recent, reputable publications. Recent now links, use of peer-reviewed journals, conforms to the current clinical practice guidelines, and recommendations by known psychological Associations including the American Psychological Association are good signs that the site is current. Therefore, the use of currency in a web source on therapy myths will guarantee that the information, that has been gathered, is not only current but will also reflect the current perception of mental health and therapy interventions.
Relevance
In the case of a web source, that deals with ‘10 Common Myths About Therapy’, one needs to answer the question of how helpful and informative is the content for the target audience and meets its expectations or not (Criollo, 2021). The measure of relevance, therefore, is the extent to which the source fits into the topic and the extent to which it adds value to what is been said about myths about therapy. For instance, an article that is related to the topic of discussion would not only eliminate the myths mentioned but also present societies’ modern-day misconceptions and offer modern and appropriate explanations and practical approaches. It should be comprehensive general and specific myths associated with a specific subject matter like adolescent youth, people of color, and any other culture. Including information about therapy myths, the article will generate interest among potential therapy clients, caregivers and other stakeholders, mental health practitioners, and even ordinary members of the public who might have misconceptions concerning therapy.
For example, common myths that therapy is for ‘crazy’ people to prove their strength or that therapists know all the answers may appeal to a person who does not want to go for therapy or may be important for clients in therapy who may feel client and let down in the process of therapy. Furthermore, the source has to correspond to such topics as New trends in online psychotherapy, Mental Health and Covid 19, Mental Health in the workplace, and others (Mainous, 2018). A related web source will also help to make sure that the myths touched are realistic and real-life experiences of people in search of or in therapy. Some sources lack specific information on some matters and are broad or outdated so they may not discuss essential aspects hence their information is not very useful to the reader who seeks information on what therapy is today.
Authority
As mentioned in the analysis of the web source of the discussion on the topic, ‘10 Common Myths About Therapy’, assessment of the person behind that content would require information concerning his or her qualification and experience. Consequently, ‘authority’ might signify that this given source is credible as well as trustworthy, given the qualifications on the author’s academic level, as well as the extent of the author’s prior work experience in the particular field (Kington et al., 2021). For example, a mental health article written by a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional, who spent years studying that subject, will be much more credible than, those articles written by people who have no right or training to work as psychologists or mental health professionals. Second, having authority admits the fact that the reputation of the publishing organization is an issue of concern. This is because the APA, NIMH as well as other revered educational institutions as credible because they uphold high standards of verification and practice. Other sources that also should be provided for reference include peer-reviewed articles, clinical practice guidelines, or any other experts for substantiation of the article under consideration. It loses credibility when it does not offer support for a citation while using raw stories for content and when authors’ credentials are not clearly stated. Finally, the tone and diction of the material themselves may give some cues in terms of authority: Generally, those written in professional language, with clear ideas stated and with no sensationalism and oversimplification are mostly likely to be taken with credulity. Concisely, the reliable sources of therapy myths would be the experts in the therapy domain operating scientifically and backed by reputable institutions that propagate research-based information more than it is truthful.
Accuracy
According to the regularities of scientific reasoning concerning web sources, the web source concerning “10 Common Myths About Therapy” must comprise reliable and factually sound arguments to support the claims and no Fallacies in logic should be detected. In this paper, accuracy translates to how close content is to what is established, investigated, and recognized academically in matters of therapy and mental health (Fusar-Poli et al., 2022). Therefore, if it is based on research updated in different facilities, guidelines of clinical practice, or evidence provided by certain organizations like the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, and very many other esteemed organizations known to practice mental health, it will be the most appropriate to use. For instance, if the whole article is going to expose the myth that therapy is for those who need it because of some serious mental disorder, then it should provide information about several other aspects in which a person, who has minimal issues, or just to improve his or her personal growth, can benefit from the therapy. Finally, accuracy can be defined as how the references to studies introduced by scientists or opinions of experts are for the claims made. While information is possibly collected by word of mouth or from popular opinions and the suitability of terms depends on hearsay and is highly likely to be unfounded then the probability of inaccuracy would be. Another is a cross-check from other reliable sources within the mental health industry to compare the information given; information that passes through the credible sources check indicates that such content is very reliable and accurate. Last but not least, the way the language is used and the presentation also counts – while studying accurate articles, one is struck by the fact that such articles are representative of good academic language that has no emotional connotations and contains facts that are presented on a level that would not tend towards exaggeration, but does not simplify therapy and presents this in a way that does not lean towards bias either. In sum, an accurate article shall be easily supportable with evidence about what is current therapy practice.
Purpose
Looking at a web source on ’10 Common Myths About Therapy’ it is important to define the objective that the article seeks to achieve. The intended or identified goal of each content should be to provide relevant, correct, and useful information to the reader which is enlightening in nature (Criollo-C, 2021). In this case, the goal of the article is likely to raise awareness, clear certain myths and set the record straight regarding therapy. It should avoid creating myths that make people avoid therapy or that put the wrong information to the public about therapy. For instance when the article attempts to tell or debunk such facts or myths as “It’s only for serious conditions” or “therapists know it all” it would want to educate and demystify to the extent of getting people to look into therapy as a good way of mental healing anyway the issue. It might aim also at raising awareness of diversity on how therapeutic approaches can exist to illustrate that indeed, therapy is diverse depending on such factors as the client’s needs, and the overall situation needed for the conductance of therapy. Another could be to provide materials, help someone thinking about therapy, and/or maybe here you’re turning into very practical advice on how someone chooses a therapist or what someone should expect within therapy. The good article will be centered on the above goals in clear language that avoids bias towards any specific therapeutic model, service, or commercial self-interest. The article should also indicate whether the article is written to encourage one to start thinking critically or simply duplicate one’s thoughts and beliefs on the given subject matter.
Scoring
When applying the rating, scoring means estimating the quality of the source under discussion according to criteria such as relevance or up-to-dateness, authority, completeness, reliability, and purpose. This can be in the form of a qualitative or quantitative scale whether each aspect has scores to assist in determining the reliability and trustworthiness of the source or not (Wang et al., 2024). For instance, this source will receive a high score in currency if it has recently generated findings in therapy or recent publication date and a low score if it possesses old information or no date of publication is apparent. From its relevance point of view, it should score high because the content fits addressing large audience needs and concerns and does provide very practical debunks of some therapy myths for readers. It would give scores to the author(s) of the article, and the publishing organization, with higher scores to mental health professional writer(s) or credible organizations. For accuracy, this score would signify whether the source uses factual accurate information that has been backed with empirical evidence such as scholarly articles, research, and opinions of authorities on the subject. This would be the case if this article is replete with empty assertions or relies heavily on mere stories. Last, of all, the purpose score would determine if the source is providing information to the reader in a helpful and unbiased way to avoid Dispensing services for which the source exists. There are nine possible scores and a poor score could be awarded if the content has a commercial interest or bias.
PSYC FPX 3002 assessment 2 References
Criollo-C, S. (2021). Mobile Learning Technologies for Education: Benefits and Pending Issues. Applied Sciences, 11(9), 4111. https://www.mdpi.com/1093816
Fusar-Poli, P., Manchia, M., Koutsouleris, N., Leslie, D., Woopen, C., Calkins, M. E., Dunn, M., Tourneau, C. L., Mannikko, M., Mollema, T., Oliver, D., Rietschel, M., Reininghaus, E. Z., Squassina, A., Valmaggia, L., Kessing, L. V., Vieta, E., Correll, C. U., Arango, C., & Andreassen, O. A. (2022). Ethical considerations for precision psychiatry: A roadmap for research and clinical practice. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 63, 17–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2022.08.001
Kington, R. S., Arnesen, S., Chou, W.-Y. S., Curry, S. J., Lazer, D., & Villarruel, A. M. (2021). Identifying credible sources of health information in social media: principles and attributes. NAM Perspectives, 2021(1). https://doi.org/10.31478/202107a
Mainous, A. G. (2018). Perspectives in primary care: Disseminating scientific findings in an era of fake news and science denial. The annals of family medicine, 16(6), 490-491. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.2311
Menz, C. (2021). Investigating a phenomenon that stands in contrast to evidence-based teaching: educational psychological misconceptions among preservice teachers – heidok. Uni-Heidelberg.de. https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/29640/1/Dissertation_CordeliaMenz_2021_heiDOK.pdf
Wang, J., Setiawansyah Setiawansyah, & Rahmanto, Y. (2024). Decision support system for choosing the best shipping service for e-commerce using the saw and critic methods. Jurnal Ilmiah Informatika Dan Ilmu Komputer (JIMA-ILKOM), 3(2), 101–109. https://doi.org/10.58602/jima-ilkom.v3i2.32