Re: Experiments With Human Subjects
Robin Hanson (hanson@hss.caltech.edu)
Tue, 24 Sep 96 10:05:56 PDT
Eugene Leitl writes:
>> If there is any sensible distinction between observation and
>> experiment, it is in one's degree of control over a system. Observers
>
>I think there is none. Observation is part of the experiment. Afaik there
>is nothing in the definition of the experimental setup requiring it to be
>created by human experimentators. It has just to be well defined. ...
>In social sciences experiments are usually impossible. Even observations
>of system's behavious, are difficult, since isolated systems either do
>not exist or the entire range of relevant parameters is impossible to
>obtain and/or to interprete.
Huh? There is no distinction between observation and experiment, and
yet social science experiments are impossible while observations are
difficult? Is there a distinction or isn't there?
Also, there is *no* field of inquiry where completely isolated systems
exist or the entire range of relevant parameters is known to have been
obtained.
Robin D. Hanson hanson@hss.caltech.edu http://hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/