Recently I have questioned the study of homeopathic cures, specifically the very well-known oil of oregano. In the past few days I had a friend that came down with this terrible flu that has been going around. He swears by oil of oregano and has been taking it for the last 4 days. He swears that it is helping significantly but every time I have seen him in these past few days he seems to be the same and is only slowly getting better due to his immune system fighting off the sickness. This made me wonder why people are so attracted to homeopathic medications and the results of such cures.
After doing a little reading I came across a story about a woman named Tamara Lovett. According to cbcnews she was recently found guilty of negligence and failure to provide necessaries of life to her seven year old son who passed away in March of 2013. The Calgary mother had been treating her son’s strep infection with dandelion tea and oil of oregano. According to the huffingtonpost though, oil of o
regano is known as a means to fight colds and flus.
The entire case built around Tamara’s guilt is based on the attribution theory. The judge and the jury must have had the perception that this mother truly was neglecting her child, but was this the truth she saw? Maybe the truth she saw was what she had been told about homeopathic cures and the past experiences she had with using such medicine. Clearly the distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency of the situation all ranked on the high end of the scale. The big question is whether or not the fundamental attribution error played a key role in this case. Did the judge and/or jury underestimate external factors or overestimate internal factors when making judgements about the behavior of Tamara Lovett?
Word Count: 309
Image Source:
Grant, M. (2017, January 23). Calgary mom found guilty in death of sick son after giving him herbal remedies. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/tamara-lovett-ryan-failing-provide-necessaries-trial-decision-1.3947694
Text Sources:
Coles, T. (2016, January 07). Why Oil Of Oregano Is Your New Best Friend. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/11/14/oil-of-oregano-benefits_n_4274795.html
Grant, M. (2017, January 23). Calgary mom found guilty in death of sick son after giving him herbal remedies. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/tamara-lovett-ryan-failing-provide-necessaries-trial-decision-1.3947694
Graveland, B. (2017, January). Calgary mother criminally negligent in son’s death. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/calgary-mother-criminally-negligent-in-son-s-death-1.3252637
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