Scott Alexander reviews John Gottman's marriage counseling methods, finding them intuitively appealing but scientifically questionable. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews John Gottman's book 'The Seven Principles For Making Marriage Work', summarizing Gottman's methods and then critically examining the scientific evidence behind them. The review begins with an overview of Gottman's reputation and claims, then details his approach to marital counseling, which focuses on liking your spouse, communication skills, and dealing with conflicts. Scott then investigates the statistical validity of Gottman's methods, finding significant issues with his claims of predictive accuracy and effectiveness. The review concludes with Scott's personal reflections on the challenges of relationship counseling and the nature of marital problems. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander discusses a study suggesting communication skills training for doctors may be ineffective, and shares personal observations on the nuances of doctor-patient communication. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association that suggests intensive communication skills training for doctors may not improve patient outcomes and could even have negative effects. He relates this to his own experiences in medical training, sharing an anecdote about an attending physician with excellent communication skills who used an unconventional approach when delivering a cancer diagnosis. The post critiques the effectiveness of formal communication skills training in medicine and suggests that some aspects of effective doctor-patient communication may be difficult or impossible to teach. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines the limitations of empathy training in medical education and shares his experiences learning to express empathy effectively as a doctor. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reflects on the teaching of empathy in medical school and its application in real-world doctor-patient interactions. He describes the awkward role-playing exercises used to teach empathy, which often result in stilted, scripted responses rather than genuine human connection. Scott explains that this approach is driven by the need for standardized, legally defensible assessment methods. He then shares personal experiences as a new doctor, highlighting the challenges of expressing empathy appropriately in emotional situations. The post concludes with insights on how Scott has learned to better navigate these interactions, emphasizing the importance of focusing on the patient's needs rather than demonstrating one's own empathy. Shorter summary