So, there is a scientific view that parental alienation is pseudoscience. What is the argument for that?

Please no flame wars. I am as bitter as I can be.

In this UN report, that has resulted in the Instanbul convention (which in turn has been adopted as policy of many states) there is the small capital III Definition and use of the pseudo-concept of “parental alienation”.

We can all find cases, where a woman has (with irrefutable evidence) fabricated accusations, in her effort to take custody of the child. Of course, in all cases, where the accusations were not substantiated (usually 2/3 of the cases that land in the court-room), it does not mean, that those accusations had been true in the first place.

And finally, there are so many stories of people being accused of fake horrible things, that never ended in the court room, but ended up having real consequences in lives of people. Even the threat thereof can be a huge lever in interpersonal dynamics.

So if this is not parental alienation through the court system, what is it?

PS: I have also often heard the argument against the person who stated this theory, but it is a personal argument that has nothing to do with the actual theory itself. Horrible people can make scientific observations too.