ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on three very specific types of irrationality. Unfortunately, all three are quite common. Since some people also find these irrationalities compelling, at least until they are systematically examined, the irrationalities are often accepted when stated prior to any further examination. The first can be termed the subset fallacy. It is illustrated easily by an example from an actual research controversy Miller and Hester summarized the results of studies that compared in-patient with out-patient alcoholism treatment programs, and intensive programs with brief programs. A closely allied type of irrationality is termed irrefutability. Psychoanalysis has the same characteristic, both according to Hines and according to Spence. Freud specifically argued against psychoanalytic interpretation while a case is ongoing, instead preferring to make an interpretation retrospectively, when all the results are known. The final specific irrationality of probabilistic reasoning relies on bringing instances to mind to estimate frequency. This availability bias is quite common and robust.
