Actually, even though he was being ironi (which many activists cannot
understand), taken at face value, I think he was right. Most experiments
done when he was editor were not worth doing and the results were
meaningless. Remember sEr=sHr x V x D + K ?. Publish or perish leads to
many trivial studies, whether with humans or animals. My theory is that if
we emphasized teaching as an alternative to research, nearly all of the
really important research would still get done and there would be less
waste.
Harry Avis
>From: Stephen Black <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>To: TIPS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: Harlow's folly
>Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2001 12:57:40 -0400 (EDT)
>
>On Wed, 25 Apr 2001, Harry Avis wrote:
> >
> > >Back in the dim past when I went to graduate school we were all
>required to
> > >read Harry Halow (remember him?)'s article on how to write for
>publication.
> > >He describes the reason for this cliche, it has been reproduced in
>Doing
> > >Psychological Experiments, an experimetal text that I use from time to
>time
> > >but do not have in my office. It is classic satire and ends with Harlow
> > >mentioned that only the end of his tenure as editor of JCPP stopped him
> > >from using a stamp he had ordered for submitted articles the stamps
>reads
> > >"not read but rejected"
>
>I dunno. Harlow, writing at a time when the animal rights
>movement was less visible, also rashly said this in his piece:
>
>"Most experiments are not worth doing and the data obtained
>are not worth publishing".
>
>Now this is taken out of context, and _we_ know he was joking.
>But the animal rightists have had great success quoting these
>words. They don't fail to note that they're from the eminent
>editor of the foremost journal of animal research in psychology,
>the past president of the American Psychological Association, and
>a leading researcher with monkeys.
>
>I think those lighthearted remarks have severely harmed the cause
>of animal research.
>
>-Stephen
>
>Harlow, H. (1962). Fundamental principles for preparing
> psychology journal articles. Journal of comparative and
> physiological psychology, 55, 893-896.
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
>Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
>Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Lennoxville, QC
>J1M 1Z7
>Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
> Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
> http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
