Historical Theory and Historical Confirmation

Hay, Cynthia

doi:10.2307/2504812

Cited by 13 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Instead, she regarded "reliability" as a better criterion. Many other historians use "truth" as a criterion, meaning that "good history" is consistent with evidence about the past, while also cautioning that truth is provisional and "absolute truth" is unattainable (see Bailyn, 1994;Boldt, 2014;Cronon, 1992;Curthoys & Docker, 2010;Evans, 1997;Giderhus, 2007;Haskell, 1990;Hay, 1980;Iggers, 1997;Marwick, 2001;andRenier, 1950/1965, as well as writings by the philosopher McCullagh, 1984McCullagh, , 2000McCullagh, , 2008. definition resonates with my biases and psychologist background, but I am also aware that truth can be defined in other ways in history.…”

Section: History and Prevention Of Inadvertent Confirmation Bias And ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Little Albert controversy: Intuition, confirmation bias, and logic.

Digdon¹

2020

History of Psychology

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This article uses the recent controversy about Little Albert's identity as an example of a fine case study of problems that can befall psychologist-historians and historians who are unaware of their tacit assumptions. Because bias and logical errors are engrained in human habits of mind, we can all succumb to them under certain conditions unless we are vigilant in guarding against them. The search for Little Albert suggests 2 persistent issues: (a) confirmation bias and (b) that overconfidence in a belief detracts from reasoning because logical errors are intuitive and seem reasonable. This article uses cognitive psychology as a framework for understanding why these issues might have arisen in the Albert research and passed the scrutiny of peer review. In closing, the article turns to historians' writings to gain insight into rules of thumb and heuristics that psychologist-historians and historians can use to mitigate these concerns. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Section: History and Prevention Of Inadvertent Confirmation Bias And ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Little Albert controversy: Intuition, confirmation bias, and logic.

Digdon¹

2020

History of Psychology

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Our Knowledge of the Past

Tucker

2004

154

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How do historians, comparative linguists, biblical and textual critics and evolutionary biologists establish beliefs about the past? How do they know the past? This book presents a philosophical analysis of the disciplines that offer scientific knowledge of the past. Using the analytic tools of contemporary epistemology and philosophy of science the book covers such topics as evidence, theory, methodology, explanation, determination and underdetermination, coincidence, contingency and counterfactuals in historiography. Aviezer Tucker's central claim is that historiography as a scientific discipline should be thought of as an effort to explain the evidence of past events. He also emphasizes the similarity between historiographic methodology to Darwinian evolutionary biology. This is an important, fresh approach to historiography and will be read by philosophers, historians and social scientists interested in the methodological foundations of their disciplines.

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Our Knowledge of the Past

2004

Our Knowledge of the Past

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Historical Theory and Historical Confirmation

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

The Little Albert controversy: Intuition, confirmation bias, and logic.

The Little Albert controversy: Intuition, confirmation bias, and logic.

Our Knowledge of the Past

Our Knowledge of the Past

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