Feyerabend’s well-ordered science: how an anarchist distributes funds

To anyone vaguely aware of Feyerabend, the title of this paper would appear as an oxymoron. For Feyerabend, it is often thought, science is an anarchic practice with no discernible structure. Against this trend, I elaborate the groundwork that Feyerabend has provided for the beginnings of an approach to organizing scientific research. Specifically, I argue that Feyerabend’s pluralism, once suitably modified, provides a plausible account of how to organize science. These modifications come from C.S. Peirce’s account of the economics of theory pursuit, which has since been corroborated by empirical findings in the social sciences. I go on to contrast this approach with the conception of a ‘well-ordered science’ as outlined by Kitcher (Science, truth, and democracy, Oxford University Press, New York, 2001), Cartwright (Philos Sci 73(5):981–990, 2006), which rests on the assumption that we can predict the content of future research. I show how Feyerabend has already given us reasons to think that this model is much more limited than it is usually understood. I conclude by showing how models of resource allocation, specifically those of Kitcher (J Philos 87:5–22, 1990), Strevens (J Philos 100(2):55–79, 2003) and Weisberg and Muldoon (Philos Sci 76(2):225–252, 2009), unwittingly make use of this problematic assumption. I conclude by outlining a proposed model of resource allocation where funding is determined by lottery and briefly examining the extent to which it is compatible with the position defended in this paper.

     

Genetic counseling for deaf adults: Communication/language and cultural considerations

It has been estimated that at least 50% of congenital or early onset deafness loss has a genetic etiology. Genetic services have traditionally been utilized by hearing parents of deaf children. Deaf adults could also greatly benefit from genetic counseling services. However, many deaf adults do not seek genetic services due in part to the communication/language and cultural differences of this group. Deaf people communicate in various ways including the use of sign language, oral communication, writing, or a combination of these modes. Also, while some deaf individuals are part of the hearing culture, others are part of the Deaf culture which has its own language, values, and traditions. Culturally Deaf individuals do not see themselves as handicapped or disabled. The genetic professional's awareness of the communication/language and cultural needs of this group, as well as their agency's responsibilities under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, may increase the accessibility of genetic services and contribute to the provision of successful genetic counseling for deaf adults.Throughout this paper, the term deaf will be used to denote a person who audiologically has a hearing loss which may range from mild to profound and may be sensorineural, conductive, or mixed. However, the term Deaf is used to denote cultural deafness.     

An X Windows tool for synthesizing face images from eigenvectors

An X Windows software tool for the construction of faces with a weighted combination of eigenvectors is described. The eigenvectors were extracted from an autoassociative matrix that comprised 100 face images. The program input consists of eigenvectors and sets of weights that describe individual faces and combines these to create face images. The tool creates a panel of buttons that permits the display of individual eigenvectors and the display of an average face as well. Facilities for on-line changes to the intensity of individual eigenvectors can be used to change the appearance of a face. Previously, O’Toole, Abdi, Deffenbacher, and Bartlett (1991) have shown that the intensity of certain individual eigenvectors contains reliable information for determining the sex and race of the face.     

SUBLIMINAL EXPOSURE TO DEATH-RELATED STIMULI INCREASES DEFENSE OF THE CULTURAL WORLDVIEW

Abstract— Three experiments reported here provide empirical support for the hypothesis derived from terror management theory that unconscious concerns about death motivate allegiance to cultural beliefs, Study 1, contrasted exposure to a subliminal death-related stimulus, a standard mortality-salience treatment, and a neutral subliminal stimulus, and found that both the subliminal and the standard reminder of mortality led to more favorable evaluations of people who praised subjects' cultural worldview and more unfavorable evaluations of those who challenged it Study 2, replicated this finding by comparing the effects of exposure to subliminal death stimuli and subliminal pain stimuli. Study 3, contrasted subliminal death stimuli, supraliminal death stimuli, and subliminal pain stimuli and found that only subliminal death stimuli produced these effects.     

Validation of the Micropat Battery

Micropat is a battery of computer-based aptitude tests designed to assess aspects of psychomotor coordination and information management. Initial research and development work on Micropat started in 1980 with the Army Air Corps and the tests were successfully validated against rotary wing pilot training outcome. In 1985, funding for the project was taken over by the Royal Navy (RN) with a view to improving selection for both RN Pilots and RN Observers. Validation of the main battery was carried out on Pilot and Observer trainees at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), Dartmouth, UK. The paper outlines the development of the Micropat programme over the past decade, focusing on a number of key practical methodological issues. These include discussion of the task-based approach to test construction, the use made of the potential afforded by computer-based assessment and the problem of developing robust composite predictors from small samples. In particular, the relative merits of unit-weighted, rationally weighted and empirically weighted composite predictors are examined. Evidence for the validity of the tests is summarized. It is concluded that we are unlikely to improve substantially on the levels of prediction which were being obtained in the 1950s. Continual development and improvement in selection testing is needed simply to maintain levels of prediction as the demands of flying change. The new forms of test made possible by computer-based assessment technology provide the means of maintaining useful levels of prediction as flying training courses become longer and more complex.     

The Role of Computer-Based Test Interpretation (CBTI) in Occupational Assessment

The paper explores a range of issues relating to the design and use of computer-based test interpretation (CBTI) systems. It describes a number of dimensions along which CBTI systems vary and considers both the positive and negative implications of these for test users, for their clients and for test candidates. A distinction is drawn between systems that generate finished reports and those that generate questions or guidance for the user. The question of how the validity of narrative reports can be assessed is considered. A study on the discriminative validity of reports generated by the PREVUE ICES CBTI system is reported which shows clear differences between judgements made about true and bogus reports. It is concluded that there are two main issues to consider when evaluating a CBTI system: first, the validity of the information generated by it and, second, the ways in which that information is likely to be used.     

The Relationship Between Attitudes Toward Persons Who Are Gay and Persons With AIDS,and HIV and AIDS Knowledge

A total of 86 counseling students were assessed on their attitudes toward persons who are gay, attitudes toward persons with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), and level of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS knowledge. Demographic data consisted of sex, age, and HIV- and AIDS-related training. Results indicated that the attitudinal and knowledge variables were correlated so that positive attitudes toward both groups corresponded with high levels of knowledge. There were no significant differences among these variables on the demographic factors. Implications of these results are discussed, with special emphasis placed on counselor education.