A Simple Guide to Spotting Pseudoscience

We need to understand what pseudoscience is and how to recognize it.

Posted August 13, 2025 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

Pseudoscience is a system of explanations, methods, and assumptions that pose as science but don’t follow core scientific principles like testability and falsifiability.

Pseudoscience is different from bad science . Bad science uses scientific methods poorly (e.g., small samples, bias , overreach). It can improve with better design. Pseudoscience can never become good science because it is not science at all.

Why We Fall for Pseudoscience

We’re pattern-seeking creatures who dislike uncertainty and want control—especially when we’re in a difficult situation, such as struggling with a medical issue that’s difficult to resolve. Pseudoscience exploits this by promising simple, certain fixes for hard problems. Practitioners often speak with absolute confidence , whereas evidence-based clinicians hedge their claims and talk in probabilities, which can feel less reassuring.

Mental shortcuts strengthen the lure of pseudoscience: confirmation bias and motivated reasoning favor what we hope is true, while we tend to be more persuaded by vivid anecdotes than statistical data.

Pseudoscience Red Flags

Unfalsifiable Claims. If a claim can never be shown to be wrong, it isn’t scientific.
Reversing the Burden of Proof. "Their side hasn’t disproved it, so it must be true." In rational inquiry, the person making the claim provides the evidence. Lack of disproof is not proof.
Special Pleading (Explaining Away Negative Findings). When pseudoscientific claims are refuted by evidence, excuses are made. This is called special pleading . It is a logical fallacy in which you make up an exception when your claim is shown to be false.
Cherry-Picking Data. Pseudoscience practitioners often focus on data that confirms their claims while ignoring or minimizing data that refutes them.
Misusing Science Jargon. Obscure, scientific-sounding terminology can be used in a meaningless way to confuse people who do not have a science background. Dense, technical language can sound authoritative while saying very little.
Overconfidence and Absolute Language. Science is provisional and usually hedged ("supports," "suggests," etc.). Claims that something has been proven should raise your guard.
Failure to Use Occam’s Razor. Occam’s razor is the principle that the explanation that requires the fewest assumptions is usually correct.
Putting Too Much Weight on Anecdotal Evidence. Personal experiences are useful when making decisions that affect you personally (like which foods make you feel unwell), but that doesn’t mean others will be affected in the same way.
Resistance to Change. Scientific ideas update with new data. If a practitioner's core claims never shift despite repeated contradictions, it's a sign that they are practicing pseudoscience.

Pseudoscience and Open-Mindedness

Some worry that not accepting pseudoscientific claims is closed-minded. It isn’t. Open-mindedness means being willing to change your mind with better evidence. This is built into science: Conclusions are provisional, uncertainty is acknowledged, and claims change with new data. Pseudoscience does the opposite: It asserts certainty and resists change.

Understanding how science works and learning the red flags of pseudoscience helps you stay genuinely open-minded while being harder to mislead.

A version of this post also appears on the Critikid blog.

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Stephanie Simoes, M.A., is the founder of Critikid, a critical thinking site for kids and teens.

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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.