Hearing Dr. Christine Blasey Ford (let’s stop dropping the Dr. from her name, folks) coming forward hit close to home. I don't know her, but I have the same job and I shudder to think of the attempts to destroy her character. Any of us could be destroyed in the very same way 1/12
The job of academic clinical psychologist involves a lot of interacting with the public--we teach students, see patients, and publish research papers. Here are ways you could make any one of us look like a horrible person. 2/12
I share this not to give anyone ideas on how to do it, but to head off at the pass any attempt to twist this type of information to make an academic clinician look of poor integrity. 3/12
First, you could go to RateMyProfessors and comb through it for the worst reviews. You would also have zero trouble finding a disgruntled student who says he/she was treated unfairly. We all have these. Then spin her as a monster in the classroom. 4/12
Second, you could drum up a disgruntled patient. Then spin her as a horrible therapist who has ruined people’s lives. We all have disgruntled patients. I’ve been yelled at, threatened, it’s just part of the job. 5/12
Third, you could ridicule the topics she studies. Conservatives have been doing this to behavioral science for the last decade. We know, we know, you don’t like behavioral and social science research. Now you can frame her as spending an entire career wasting tax dollars. 6/12
Next, you could comb for errors in her published papers. She’s well published and it’s hard to imagine that in 50+ papers you won’t see a single error. Then spin her as an incompetent scientist, this goes nicely with the “wasting tax dollars” narrative you already built. 7/12
Like I said, I do not know Dr. Blasey Ford. I do know that she’s employed at a prestigious internship site that likely wouldn’t have accepted me had I applied--my research track record was too weak at the time. 8/12
I do know is that NONE of these types of attacks will have any merit. You would need to find unethical behavior or professional misconduct to truly demonstrate poor character. You should look to the consensus of our field to evaluate any such allegations. 9/12
I also know that she knows these attacks are coming. She knows she can't go to work today without intense fear and harassment. She can’t leave the house by herself. In fact, I have no idea how long it would take me to feel safe leaving my house if I were in her shoes today. 10/12
Does she have babies? My god, I don’t think I could let my child leave the house either. She’s living an absolute nightmare right now. This decision was not made lightly. 11/12
I also know she must have incredible, inconceivable courage to do what she did. She knew all of this to be true the minute she came forward.
And she did it anyway. 12/12
And she did it anyway. 12/12
