Boiled Frogs and Chained Dogs: Habituation Myths by Benjamin Radford

Benjamin Radford debunks popular myths about habituation, including the chained dog and boiled frog stories, showing they are inaccurate metaphors often misused in politics, business, and culture. While habituation is real in psychology, these animal myths rely on slippery-slope reasoning and bad science—so skeptics should reject them and leave the dogs and frogs alone. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://skepticalinquirer.org/2025/08/boiled-frogs-and-chained-dogs-habituation-myths/ About the Author: Benjamin Radford, M.Ed., is a scientific paranormal investigator, a research fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, deputy editor of the Skeptical Inquirer, and author, co-author, contributor, or editor of twenty books and over a thousand articles on skepticism, critical thinking, and science literacy. His newest book is America the Fearful. Subscribe to Skeptical Inquirer: https://skepticalinquirer.org/subscribe/ Skeptical Inquirer Audio Edition is a production of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and the Center for Inquiry.