Neuro-linguistic programming: Encyclopedia II - Neuro-linguistic programming - Criticism

Neuro-linguistic programming - Criticism

Critics say NLP is simply a half-baked conflation of pop psychology and pseudoscience that uses jargon to disguise the fact that it is based on a set of banal, if not incorrect, presuppositions (Sanghera 2005). NLP has been criticized by clinical psychologists, management scholars, linguists, psychotherapists and cult awareness groups, concerning ineffectiveness, pseudoscientific explanation of linguistics and neurology, ethically questionable, cult-like characteristics, and promotion by exaggerated claims.

Neuro-linguistic programming - False claims to science

Critics say that NLP often associates itself with "science of communication" ^[184] in order to raise its own prestige ^[185] and anthropologists such as Winkin consider such promotion to be intellectually fraudulent ^[186]. Furthermore, some critics assert that NLP's association with science is as distant as astrology's association to astronomy^[187].

As with any other science, theory is central to behavioral science. However, Gregory Bateson in page ix of the Structure of Magic Volume I claims that, "The behavioral sciences, and especially psychiatry, have always avoided theory..." ^[188]. The co-originators have also stated, "We are not psychologists, and we're also not theologians or theoreticians" ^[189]. However, proponents claim that the Milton-model is based on the behavioral patterns of Milton H. Erickson and that if these patterns can be 'formalized it will make a solid foundation for a science of communication' (1977 p.81) yet Grinder & Bostic St Clair (2001) say that "the coding phase of NLP modeling is at present an art"^[190]. Some proponents have marketed exaggerated claims about NLP such as false connections to neuroscience and have marketed the original developers as 'scientists' ^[191]. Advertising bodies in the UK have asked for NLP proponents to avoid promoting NLP as a new science [192].

Psycholinguist Willem Levelt states that (translated into English) "NLP is not informed about linguistics literature, it is based on vague insights that were out of date long ago, their linguistics concepts are not properly construed or are mere fabrications, and conclusions are based upon the wrong premises. NLP theory and practice has nothing to do with neuroscientific insights or linguistics, nor with informatics or theories of programming" ^[193][194].

Neuro-linguistic programming - Pseudoscience

NLP has been classed as a pseudoscientific self help development ^{[195] [196][197][198]}, in the same mold as EST (Landmark Forum) and Dianetics(Scientology). Authors such as Salerno (2005) also state NLP is pseudoscience, and have criticized its promotion as self-help, and psychologists such as Singer ^[199] and management experts such as ^[200] have criticized quasi-spiritual and unethical uses within management and human resources developments. The National Council Against Health Fraud classify NLP is a "dubious therapy"^[201].

Numerous extraordinary and unsupported claims have been made by some NLP promoters. There have been claims that the hightening of perception using NLP can allow a novice martial artist to beat an expert ^[202], and that it is possible to develop photographic memory through the use of NLP ^[203].

Historically, NLP has many pseudoscientific associations such as the explicit and implicit erroneous adherence to Dianetic's subconscious engram concept [204][205], claims to rapid cures and treatment of traumas, the use of popular new age myths such as unlimited potential, left/right brain simplicities, past life regression, and the use marketing/recruitment models similar to that of Dianetics (Scientology) and other cults ^[206].

Pseudoscience is prone to certain fallacies and characteristics. These can be; Overgeneral predictions, pseudoscientific experimentation, dogmatic adherence or recycling of un-validated claims ^[207][208]. The characteristics of pseudoscience are more specifically shown thus ^[209] [210]:

• The use of obscurantist language (eg meta programs, parapragmatics, sub-modalities etc)
• The absence of connectivity ^[211]
• Over-reliance on testimonial and anecdotal evidence ^[212]
• An overuse of ad hoc hypotheses and reversed burden of proof designed to immunize claims from falsification ^[213]
• Emphasis on confirmation rather than refutation (eg reliance on asking how rather than why)
• Absence of boundary conditions
• The mantra of holism and eclecticism designed to immunize from verifiable efficacy ^[214](Claiming that NLP is unmeasurable due to too many factors or to simplistically “do what works”^[215].
• Evasion of peer review (If claims were true, why were they not properly documented and presented to the scientific community?) ^[216]
• Reversed burden of proof (away from those making claim (NLP promoters), and towards those testing the claim (Scientists)).

Pseudoscientific arguments tend to contain several or all of these factors, as can be seen in this example [217] that shows ad hoc hypotheses and holistic argument as an attempt to explain away the negative findings, and an emphasis on confirmation and reversed burden of proof etc.

Critics point of that NLP is based on outdated metaphors of brain functioning and is laced with numerous factual errors ^[218]. Modern neuroscience indicates that NLP's notions of neurology are erroneous and pseudoscientific in regards to: left/right brain hemispheric differences ^{[219][220][221]}, the association of eye movements or body gestures to brain hemispheres, and in the universal division of humanity to 40% visual, 40% auditory and 20% kinesthetic [222], in the adherence of NLP to positive/negative and psychic out of body energy ^[223]. NLP is also based on some of Freud's most flawed and pseudoscientific thinking that has been rejected by the mainstream psychology community for decades^[224].

Neuro-linguistic programming - Ethical Concerns

Ethical concerns of NLP’s encouragement towards manipulation have been raised. As such, NLP is seen as encouraging people to find more ways to manipulate individuals against their will within seduction, sales and business settings. NLP book titles include "The Unfair Advantage in Sales" and "The Science and Technology of Getting What You Want" and “Get Anyone to Do Anything”.

The therapy and coaching fields require an ethical code of conduct (eg: Psychotherapy and Counseling Federation of Australia Ethical Guidelines). It has been found that NLP certified practitioners often show a weak grasp of ethics ^[225].

In addition, "Ethical standards bodies and other professional associations state that unless a technique, process, drug, or surgical procedure can meet requirements of clinical tests, it is ethically questionable to offer it to the public, especially if money is to change hands"^[226]. NLP is also criticised for unethically encouraging the belief in non existent maladies and insecurities by otherwise normal individuals^[227].

NLP has also been described as a "commercial cult", and has been criticised within the business sector for being coercive, including undue and forced adoption of fundamental beliefs and intense confrontational psychological techniques, tantamount to forced religious conversion ^[228]. Its various forms, such as those promoted by Grinder, and Tony Robbins are said to be ill conceived and coercive in some business settings ^[229].

Neuro-linguistic programming - Questionable Applications

Currently, there is criticism from psychotherapists about the promotion of NLP and other dubious therapies within psychotherapy associations ^[230][231]. NLP certification for therapists in general still does not require any professional qualifications ^[232].

• Human Resources: As with other pseudoscientific subjects, human resource experts such as Von Bergen et al (1997) consider NLP to be inappropriate for management and human resource training [233]. NLP has been found to be most ineffective concerning influence/persuasion and modeling of skills ^[234]. There is a general view that NLP is dubious and is not to be taken seriously in a business context ^[235][236]. Within management training there have also been complaints towards NLP concerning undue and forced adoption of fundamental beliefs tantamount to a forced religious conversion.^[237]

Many such courses appear to depend more upon charismatic appeal, wish-fulfillment, quick fixes, and lack of critical faculty, than actual quantifiable results, and so are often considered pure pseudoscience. The original fad of NLP has undergone further controvercy and abandonment since the further realization that it is simply a faddy cult, and the divorce of Tony Robbins despite his commercial promotion of "Perfect Marriage" counseling has led to a great deal of disenchantment from his own followers (Salerno 2005). The various claims NLP proponents make have no clinical support and are grossly missleading (Eisner 2000).

• NLP and Education: Although NLP has no reliable neuroscience foundation, it is sometimes considered as part of "accelerated learning" or "brain based learning"[238][239]PDF^[240]. There is no reliable evidence to support the use of NLP within education, and as such, the use of this unvalidated method is discouraged by educational experts (REF).

• Cosmetic Effect Claims: Dubious treatments such as hypnotic breast enhancement and penis enlargement often claim to use NLP processes to produce this effect (REF). If such miraculous effects had actually been achieved, then why have they not been properly documented by the people making these claims, and presented to the scientific community? ^[241].

• Occult and New Age Practices: With its promotion with Tai Chi, Meditation, and Dianetics (Scientology), NLP is in the margins of contemporary obscurantism ^[242]. NLP is often criticised as being a dubious new age therapy. Practitioners sometimes attempt to model spiritual experiences, which inherently, are lacking in scientific support. NLP's new age background often leads to it being sold in combination with shamanic methods of magic such as those by (by Richard Bandler) or Huna (by Tad James).

Neuro-linguistic programming - Cult characteristics

NLP is sometimes referred to in scientific research reviews as a cult ^{[243][244][245]}, and a destructive or amoral pseudoscientific psychocult ^[246][247](eg. NLP Rekaunt[248]), and in research it is often considered to be akin to a cult ^{[249][250][251][252][253]}. The German educational ministry banned the use of NLP in education due to its close similarity to Scientology [254]. Bandler's legal actions have been compared to the vexatious litigation and restriction in freedom of speech of cults such as Scientology [255].

Similar to other pseudoscientific subjects such as Dianetics (Scientology) and EST(Landmark)[256], NLP is adopted as a pretext for applying ritual, authority control, dissociation, reduced rationalization, and social pressure to obtain compliance from the cult's victim or to induce dependence on the cult ^[257]. For example, the belief in the ubiquity of bad programming (dianetic's engram concept[258] is widely disseminated in NLP books and seminars. Thus, although NLP is ineffective for its stated purposes, it is used as a fake science in a similar way to other psuedoscientific therapies such as primal scream therapy, EST[259] and Dianetics.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Criticism", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki