Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 371-395 |
| Number of pages | 25 |
| Journal | Philosophy of the social sciences |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 25 May 2023 |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2023 |
Abstract
Scientific models can be performative: they can causally affect the phenomena they are intended to represent. The existing literature offers two responses. The appraisal view emphasizes that performativity can sometimes be a good-making model attribute, e.g., when predictions steer the public’s behavior in desirable ways. The mitigation view seeks to endogenize agents’ behavioral response to model-issued forecasts to get rid of performativity instead. This paper argues that neither approach is fully compelling: the appraisal view encounters severe concerns about moral values illegitimately encroaching on how modelers construct and use models, while the mitigation view fails to acknowledge that endogenization is itself a choice that involves substantive value-judgments relating to the desirability of certain social outcomes.
Keywords
- endogenization, models, performativity, policy advice, values in science
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities(all)
- Philosophy
- Social Sciences(all)
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
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In: Philosophy of the social sciences, Vol. 53, No. 5, 09.2023, p. 371-395.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Managing Performative Models
AU - Khosrowi, Donal
PY - 2023/9
Y1 - 2023/9
N2 - Scientific models can be performative: they can causally affect the phenomena they are intended to represent. The existing literature offers two responses. The appraisal view emphasizes that performativity can sometimes be a good-making model attribute, e.g., when predictions steer the public’s behavior in desirable ways. The mitigation view seeks to endogenize agents’ behavioral response to model-issued forecasts to get rid of performativity instead. This paper argues that neither approach is fully compelling: the appraisal view encounters severe concerns about moral values illegitimately encroaching on how modelers construct and use models, while the mitigation view fails to acknowledge that endogenization is itself a choice that involves substantive value-judgments relating to the desirability of certain social outcomes.
AB - Scientific models can be performative: they can causally affect the phenomena they are intended to represent. The existing literature offers two responses. The appraisal view emphasizes that performativity can sometimes be a good-making model attribute, e.g., when predictions steer the public’s behavior in desirable ways. The mitigation view seeks to endogenize agents’ behavioral response to model-issued forecasts to get rid of performativity instead. This paper argues that neither approach is fully compelling: the appraisal view encounters severe concerns about moral values illegitimately encroaching on how modelers construct and use models, while the mitigation view fails to acknowledge that endogenization is itself a choice that involves substantive value-judgments relating to the desirability of certain social outcomes.
KW - endogenization
KW - models
KW - performativity
KW - policy advice
KW - values in science
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85162958056&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/00483931231172455
DO - 10.1177/00483931231172455
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85162958056
VL - 53
SP - 371
EP - 395
JO - Philosophy of the social sciences
JF - Philosophy of the social sciences
SN - 0048-3931
IS - 5
ER -