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Mosby

(16,168 posts)
30. some things are very hard or nearly impossibe to test
Wed Oct 31, 2012, 02:51 PM
Oct 2012

Most economic "theory" for example, is hard to test because you can't manipulate anything. That does not mean the ideas stemming from economics have no value at all but its very limited, ultimately economists make educated guesses. If you think about it economic theory should be part of social psych but is isn't because its nearly impossible to apply the scientific method.

The biggest issue in climate research is rate of change and there is a great deal of variability in rates for exactly the reason that it can't be tested. The best they can do is make simple comparisons of rates of greenhouse gas levels through the millenia and extrapolate from that.

Standard evolutionary theory is also nearly impossibe to test using experimentation. A lot of key ideas like natural selection cannot be proven, but ideas like Directed Mutation can be tested and, not surprisingly, is completely changing the way scientists think about standard evo theory.

Evopsych is very limited in that they can develop questionaires and that's about it. In the research biz self report data (from questionaires) is considered about the weakest DV data one can obtain. There is also the problem of what is exactly being tested (construct validity) imo this is a huge problem that cannot be overcome.

There is no question that humans have instinctive behaviors but there is a huge jump from that to saying for example that men are naturally polygamous. Maybe they are but it can't be proved or disproved using current research techniques.

Experimentation today often does not use the "control group" type of effects testing. The big thing today is Structural Equation Modeling, which does not use control groups.

Because it's madness- sheer madness!- to suggest there may be evolutionary or biological drivers in Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #1
Gah! rrneck Oct 2012 #5
It does seem to be... opiate69 Oct 2012 #6
Yeah.. Upton Oct 2012 #7
The woo spewed against evolutionary psych is insane hifiguy Oct 2012 #15
"The one core fact about science and the scientific method . . . " 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #25
You might say that. hifiguy Oct 2012 #28
*groan* iuzyp Oct 2012 #2
"chock up"? Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #3
*snork*!!! Oh, and... Hi again, iverglas! opiate69 Oct 2012 #4
You can't win, Darth Major Nikon Oct 2012 #10
More like this: Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #11
Same thing Major Nikon Oct 2012 #12
Another one bites the dust: hifiguy Oct 2012 #16
Can't tell if that rant is real or parody. caseymoz Oct 2012 #13
Fundamentalists of all stripes reject science 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #8
Too true, 4thLaw.. too true opiate69 Oct 2012 #9
I think they don't like it . . . caseymoz Oct 2012 #14
evo psych (sociobiology) is mostly bullshit Mosby Oct 2012 #17
Oh, well.... Mosby sez so, so it must be trufax!!! opiate69 Oct 2012 #18
some links Mosby Oct 2012 #19
Hmm... ok.. opiate69 Oct 2012 #20
Yeah. I know for a fucking FACT that alcoholism has a genetic and physiological component. Warren DeMontague Oct 2012 #24
Why am I not surprised that an ax-grinder is at the base of this? hifiguy Oct 2012 #29
Are you suggesting that men don't have the capacity to understand it? lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #21
I'm posting from my phone Mosby Oct 2012 #22
There's plenty of social science concepts which can't be effectively tested Major Nikon Oct 2012 #23
Many disciplines can't be based on experimentation 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #27
some things are very hard or nearly impossibe to test Mosby Oct 2012 #30
I think you are grievously misunderstanding what evo-psych 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #35
I think it's safe to agree that psychology, evolutionary or otherwise, is a soft science. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #31
Well said, jeff. hifiguy Oct 2012 #32
psychology does cover a lot of ground these days Mosby Oct 2012 #33
I think the analogies between psychology and environmental science are apt. lumberjack_jeff Oct 2012 #34
The genetic component would be neuro-science 4th law of robotics Nov 2012 #36
Claim: evo-psych is bullshit 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #26
This is the stuff that makes people think it's okay to cover up or apologize for child abusers, huh? Warren DeMontague Nov 2012 #37
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