Davison, M. & Nevin, J. A. (2005).
On science and the discriminative law of effect.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 83, 85-92.
This article considers the process of the dissemination of
scientific findings from the point of view of the discriminative
law of effect. We assume that the purpose of science is to
describe the state of the world in an unbiased and accurate
manner. We then consider a number of challenges to the unbiased
consensual development of science that arise from differences
between science that is done, submitted for publication, and
published. These challenges arise from the differential
reinforcers for both research and publication delivered by
journals and editors for novel results, the undervaluation
of systematic replication and findings of invariance, and
general lack of reinforcers for failed replications. All
these challenges bias science toward searching for, reporting,
and valuing novel results and consequently lead to a biased
and erroneous view of the world. We suggest that science
should be approached more conservatively, and that a reevaluation
of the value of replication, and especially failed replication,
is in order.
Key words: replication, discriminative law of effect