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At some point, this article uses the phrase the inexact sciences. I have traditionally heard the phrase soft sciences for things like psychology. Human psychol

At some point, this article uses the phrase the inexact sciences. I have traditionally heard the phrase soft sciences for things like psychology. Human psychology and social phenomenon are inherently hard to study well for myriad reasons and much of this article is about psychology. The bits about outright fraud and problematic medical studies are more worthwhile things to be concerned about, but if your primary conclusion or concern is "human psychology is hard to study scientifically" (ie with exactness and ready replicability) then I'm going to be all "Well, duh!"

kodah 5y ago
> if your primary conclusion or concern is "human psychology is hard to study scientifically" (ie with exactness and ready replicability) then I'm going to be all "Well, duh!" The way that I read the "inexact sciences" critique is one that takes aim at the certainty of their rhetoric. An uncertain and "hard to study" science should use words that reflect that rather than an inappropriate level of determinism which seems to be what the article is actually discussing.
- DoreenMichele 5y ago
  There are more ways to come up with firmer conclusions. They do exist. They just have something of a tendency to not fall under the love that so many seem to have of treating people like lab rats. Someone found that when men decide a female celebrity is hot, they google up nude photos. When women decide a male celebrity is hot, their first search is to determine "Is he currently married?" So when someone wants to deal privately with their own feelings of attraction or sexual desire, men and women have different initial impetuses when no one is looking, when they have no expectation that anyone is judging them, etc. This suggests a distinct gender difference. Whether that's somehow socially influenced or biological, I don't know. But it seems significant. And it's not the kind of thing you are likely to find in most so-called studies because people like to ask questions of people who volunteered for your study. So when they do studies that find that "everyone" is secretly having threesomes and orgies, that's probably selection bias. Because folks who actually value their privacy and don't casually sleep around probably aren't part of your pool of volunteers wanting to blab about their sex life to a total stranger. Duh.
  - kodah 5y ago
    Well stated, good to see you again!

kodah 5y ago

> if your primary conclusion or concern is "human psychology is hard to study scientifically" (ie with exactness and ready replicability) then I'm going to be all "Well, duh!" The way that I read the "inexact sciences" critique is one that takes aim at the certainty of their rhetoric. An uncertain and "hard to study" science should use words that reflect that rather than an inappropriate level of determinism which seems to be what the article is actually discussing.

DoreenMichele 5y ago
There are more ways to come up with firmer conclusions. They do exist. They just have something of a tendency to not fall under the love that so many seem to have of treating people like lab rats. Someone found that when men decide a female celebrity is hot, they google up nude photos. When women decide a male celebrity is hot, their first search is to determine "Is he currently married?" So when someone wants to deal privately with their own feelings of attraction or sexual desire, men and women have different initial impetuses when no one is looking, when they have no expectation that anyone is judging them, etc. This suggests a distinct gender difference. Whether that's somehow socially influenced or biological, I don't know. But it seems significant. And it's not the kind of thing you are likely to find in most so-called studies because people like to ask questions of people who volunteered for your study. So when they do studies that find that "everyone" is secretly having threesomes and orgies, that's probably selection bias. Because folks who actually value their privacy and don't casually sleep around probably aren't part of your pool of volunteers wanting to blab about their sex life to a total stranger. Duh.
- kodah 5y ago
  Well stated, good to see you again!