EVOLVING NULL HYPOTHESES AND THE BASE-RATE FALLACY - A FUNCTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF SCIENTIFIC MYTH

Authors
GIBBS BJ
Citation
Bj. Gibbs, EVOLVING NULL HYPOTHESES AND THE BASE-RATE FALLACY - A FUNCTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF SCIENTIFIC MYTH, Behavioral and brain sciences, 20(4), 1997, pp. 776
Citations number
9
Categorie Soggetti
Psychology, Biological",Neurosciences,"Behavioral Sciences
Journal title
Behavioral and brain sciences → ACNP
ISSN journal
0140525X
Volume
20
Issue
4
Year of publication
1997
Database
ISI
SICI code
0140-525X(1997)20:4<776:ENHATB>2.0.ZU;2-W
Abstract
The meaning of an experimental result depends on the experiment's conc eptual backdrop, particularly its null hypothesis. This observation pr ovides the basis for a functional interpretation of belief in the base rate fallacy. On this interpretation, if the base rate fallacy is to be labelled a ''myth,'' then it should be recognized that this label i s not necessarily a disparaging one.