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When analyzing stories like this, I like to ask myself, what if the result were reversed? Would it be reported? For instance, if there is a study that says [gr
by bko 4y ago
When analyzing stories like this, I like to ask myself, what if the result were reversed? Would it be reported?
For instance, if there is a study that says [group 1] are actually better managers than [group 2]. I ask myself what if the study found [group 2] is in fact better than [group 1]? It very well may be that [group 1] is in fact better managers, but if the reverse cannot be reported, then you're not getting any counterfactual evidence since it would be suppressed, ignored or manipulated. Basically it doesn't fit the popular narrative.
You can apply this to other statements. If you hear a statement in which the reverse would be inconceivable, it's probably not a meaningful statement. If you hear a manager say "I stand with my employees", would the reverse make sense? Is there someone that would argue, no, I don't stand with my employees? If not, then that statement is a meaningless platitude and not conveying any information. The only caveat I would add is that the subject may add focus. Focusing on employees may be a signal to some value that is not universally shared, but people often hedge their bets and say something like "I stand with my employees, customers and stockholders", which is completely meaningless.
- dmix 4y agoThat’s a very clever way to look at things. So much of social media is littered with platitudes and virtue signalling where the thing being said is not only very low risk but not saying it would be career suicide (or at least cause endless foaming at the mouth), this is a useful way to filter out low effort content.
- tarakat 4y ago> I like to ask myself, what if the result were reversed? Would it be reported? Ask and you will be answered: The authors also submitted different test studies to different peer-review boards. The methodology was identical, and the variable was that the purported findings either went for, or against, the liberal worldview (for example, one found evidence of discrimination against minority groups, and another found evidence of "reverse discrimination" against straight white males). Despite equal methodological strengths, the studies that went against the liberal worldview were criticized and rejected, and those that went with it were not. Source: https://theweek.com/articles/441474/how-academias-liberal-bias-killing-social-science https://theweek.com/articles/441474/how-academias-liberal-bi... summarizing the following paper: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain-sciences/article/abs/political-diversity-will-improve-social-psychological-science-1/A54AD4878AED1AFC8BA6AF54A890149F https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/behavioral-and-brain...