Psychologist selling to the Media?

I once read in a woman's magazine, that psychologists (about 68% of them) that specialize in working with teenage girls, eating disorder patients, woman and young men sell their findings on a monthly basis to corporations, so that these corporations can use their advertising in a way that targets our insecurities.

I know that advertising IS based in convincing us we need a product in order to live our lifes more efficiently, and to feel better about ourselves...

and I know that many people believe the media is out to warp our self-image, in order to boost pharmacutical and cosmetic sales.

But has anyone else heard about psychologists selling your personal data to corporation?

J.

So is so illegal it's painful. No psychologist- including fakes and quacks such as Dr. Phil- are allowed to sell your personal information in any way, manner or form. Even if presented as a case study, the msot you will receive is the sex, age, and city of the person. Even then, that's generous. Anything more than that opens a person up to libel as well as criminal action.

DE

Highly possible (hell its likely), but you won't find a quack telling that info openly. Like DeusEx said it is a highly punishable offense.


It probably happens, but behind the curtain. Dr. Phils out in front entertaining the crowd. That fat f***.

Health professionals are prohibited from selling, or divluging in any way, your medical history to anyone. However, if they publish a study, the basic demographic information will be included, and that would be valuable for corporations. Direct marketers (ie - those bastards that call at dinner time) would be more interested in your home address and phone #, but I think broad trends are more useful for corporate advertising departments. So, the information is out there regardless. I see nothing illegal with advertisers making use of public information that has been published in medical studies.

And I agree with Megalodon. Dr. Phil does indeed suck much ass.

They very well may do that. HIPPA only stipulates you can't share medical info with the patient's name or identifying information (SS number, drivers liscense number, etc.). Technically, they could sell the info saying this age group does this and lives in this condition and likes this, etc.

EDIT: I have to know HIPPA regulations because my company does a lot of research and hospitals share with us a lot of patient information that has to do with liver and heart transplants/surgeries. Whenever we get info, or send info to other hospitals, we need to replace all the patient names with identifiable codes so the people we're sending it to don't know who the person is. If you culdn't share any medical info, medical research would stagnate.

[Edited on 4-7-2004 by junglejake]

I don't care if the sell what is say while i am with a shrink. As long as they don't say anything that can identify me.

It is illegal to sell that information though. Something like patienticlient privelage.