ASSIGNMENT
PART 1
Scenario
A friend of yours is raving about this new "neurovestibular system" that he has spent a small fortune on which he is convinced is helping him to lose weight and get fit. He says: it is based on "real science" and helps you make more hormones that decrease your appetite. The world-renowned doctor who invented it has tried it on himself and has had amazing results, not only losing body fat but building lean muscle mass, and thousands of people have bought one from his web-siteand have experienced similar results. He's been using it for three months and believes that it's working, although he acknowledges he hasn't lost much weight according to his scales. He reckons that's because he's built muscle and lost fat. But you're not so sure, because there doesn't appear to be any observable change, so you look a little deeper. You go to the website and find that there is no clear scientific argument to support the claims, and in the fine print the doctor who invented it says his results were obtained "when combined with an active and healthy lifestyle" and "should not be viewed as typical", and that the results of others were "self-reported".
Question
What cognitive biases might explain why your friend, and perhaps all of the other people who have used this device, might believe that it is working despite there being no objective evidence that it is?
PART 2
You are required to examine and analyse the following web site for features or claims that are consistent with the characteristics of a scientific approach AND/OR characteristic of pseudoscience or represent red flags.
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.