TY - JOUR

T1 - The experimenters' regress reconsidered

T2 - Replication, tacit knowledge, and the dynamics of knowledge generation

AU - Feest, Uljana

PY - 2016/8/1

Y1 - 2016/8/1

N2 - This paper revisits the debate between Harry Collins and Allan Franklin, concerning the experimenters' regress. Focusing my attention on a case study from recent psychology (regarding experimental evidence for the existence of a Mozart Effect), I argue that Franklin is right to highlight the role of epistemological strategies in scientific practice, but that his account does not sufficiently appreciate Collins's point about the importance of tacit knowledge in experimental practice. In turn, Collins rightly highlights the epistemic uncertainty (and skepticism) surrounding much experimental research. However, I will argue that his analysis of tacit knowledge fails to elucidate the reasons why scientists often are (and should be) skeptical of other researchers' experimental results. I will present an analysis of tacit knowledge in experimental research that not only answers to this desideratum, but also shows how such skepticism can in fact be a vital enabling factor for the dynamic processes of experimental knowledge generation.

AB - This paper revisits the debate between Harry Collins and Allan Franklin, concerning the experimenters' regress. Focusing my attention on a case study from recent psychology (regarding experimental evidence for the existence of a Mozart Effect), I argue that Franklin is right to highlight the role of epistemological strategies in scientific practice, but that his account does not sufficiently appreciate Collins's point about the importance of tacit knowledge in experimental practice. In turn, Collins rightly highlights the epistemic uncertainty (and skepticism) surrounding much experimental research. However, I will argue that his analysis of tacit knowledge fails to elucidate the reasons why scientists often are (and should be) skeptical of other researchers' experimental results. I will present an analysis of tacit knowledge in experimental research that not only answers to this desideratum, but also shows how such skepticism can in fact be a vital enabling factor for the dynamic processes of experimental knowledge generation.

KW - Conceptual openness

KW - Epistemic uncertainty

KW - Experimenters' regress

KW - Operationalism

KW - Replication

KW - Tacit knowledge

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84973100772&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsa.2016.04.003

DO - 10.1016/j.shpsa.2016.04.003

M3 - Article

C2 - 27474184

AN - SCOPUS:84973100772

VL - 58

SP - 34

EP - 45

JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A

JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A

SN - 0039-3681

ER -