5 ms·

I'm bothered by the implicit authority given to the word "study" nowadays. Collecting data and drawing conclusions is much easier than contrasting assumptions

I'm bothered by the implicit authority given to the word "study" nowadays. Collecting data and drawing conclusions is much easier than contrasting assumptions for the sake of understanding the underlying issues, yet the former seems much more prevalent in public discourse.

JPGalt 9y ago
I would further add that the credibility of the person performing the "study" is also no longer analyzed which it should be because implicit bias is a serious factor.
- weberc2 9y ago
  Implicit bias or confirmation bias?
  - JPGalt 9y ago
    I would say it could be either but none the less bias is a relevant variable that should always be considered. For example, studies on say smoking or the health benefits of a pharmaceutical performed by a tobacco company or big pharma respectively are openly and voraciously discredited as bias which they should be. Anything relating to social justice of any sort is swallowed as irrefutable fact without a second thought or an ounce of critical thinking applied. It is then regurgitated argumentum ad nauseam and any statistical (read fair and scientific) analysis of the study and its bias are attacked as anti-something, racist, misogynist etc. It is academically and morally corrupt and cannot and should not be allowed. The academic community should be vocally standing against this practice but being that they are afraid to be called a name or slur they swallow it. People have put their political subscription above everything else and it is sickening.
    - weberc2 9y ago
      > People have put their political subscription above everything else and it is sickening. Agreed.
WhompingWindows 9y ago
The problem is that science relies on consensus, multiple studies confirming the same finding, whereas most lay readers find a single study and use confirmation bias to put away their critical thinking. Most people will just read science-writing by some news website or even the NYT, which cites a single study. They then synthesize this science writing about a single study as "fact" into their head, when really you need numerous studies and even meta-analyses of studies to establish a fact or theory.

JPGalt 9y ago

I would further add that the credibility of the person performing the "study" is also no longer analyzed which it should be because implicit bias is a serious factor.

weberc2 9y ago
Implicit bias or confirmation bias?
- JPGalt 9y ago
  I would say it could be either but none the less bias is a relevant variable that should always be considered. For example, studies on say smoking or the health benefits of a pharmaceutical performed by a tobacco company or big pharma respectively are openly and voraciously discredited as bias which they should be. Anything relating to social justice of any sort is swallowed as irrefutable fact without a second thought or an ounce of critical thinking applied. It is then regurgitated argumentum ad nauseam and any statistical (read fair and scientific) analysis of the study and its bias are attacked as anti-something, racist, misogynist etc. It is academically and morally corrupt and cannot and should not be allowed. The academic community should be vocally standing against this practice but being that they are afraid to be called a name or slur they swallow it. People have put their political subscription above everything else and it is sickening.
  - weberc2 9y ago
    > People have put their political subscription above everything else and it is sickening. Agreed.

WhompingWindows 9y ago

The problem is that science relies on consensus, multiple studies confirming the same finding, whereas most lay readers find a single study and use confirmation bias to put away their critical thinking. Most people will just read science-writing by some news website or even the NYT, which cites a single study. They then synthesize this science writing about a single study as "fact" into their head, when really you need numerous studies and even meta-analyses of studies to establish a fact or theory.