I don't know what it is about psychology, but there sure are a lot of long-standing myths associated with it. Whether it's bizarre generalisations about mental disorders or thinking that much of anything Sigmund Freud ever said is still being used as a basis for psychological theory, there's a whole lot to cover here.
Fortunately, the guys at Mental Floss have covered some of the most common misconceptions in psychology, and even if you weren't fooled by any of them (gold star), it's still fascinating to learn about these myths. For example, did you know that polygraph tests are so flawed, any evidence based on one can not be admitted into the US federal court, based on a 1998 supreme court decision that said, "There is simply no consensus that polygraph evidence is reliable."
Scheduled in for some time with a psychologist or psychiatrist? Throw that dream journal away, because despite what you might have seen on TV, if you've got a good one, they don't care about how you have a recurring dream where your mum is actually an axe-wielding chimp with no legs. "Every therapist is different, but it's rare to find one that will want to talk a lot about your dreams nowadays, and there's actually a good reason for this - we still don't really know what dreams mean," says Elliott in the video above. "There are a few presiding theories, but most experts don't view dream interpretation as the key to happiness." In fact, he says, some claim that they're 100 percent meaningless.
No, people with Tourette's don't all scream obscenities, and people with schizophrenia don't have split personalities. I could go on, but the video above covers it all so well. While you're watching, I'm gonna go tell Jerry Seinfeld not to worry so much.
Source: Mental Floss