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From: "Barry B. Bean"
Date: Thu, 03 Oct 96 16:03:27 -0500
Subject: Re: Proving the Existence of Fish

On 03 Oct 96 15:32:49 EDT, Winslow Yerxa wrote:

>Here I will take the opportunity to stand on a soap box and,
>while addressing no-one in particular, complain that there seems
>to be a tendency among those seeking scientific explanations to
>discount reported experience. I mean that if reported experience
>is not borne out by the theoretical models advanced, then the
>experience tends to be dismissed as invalid, and attributed to
>the gullibility, suggestibilty or prejudice of the person who has
>the experience.

While I am by nature an empiricist (my formal training was in
research psychology and research design), I think it is crucial to
insure that what is being discussed and what is being measured are
the same thing.

In arguments presented on harp-l, the would-be harp empiricists often
cite (for instance) oscilliscope (sp?) readings to argue relative
differences or the lack thereof between harmonica materials.

Ignoring for a moment the definitional inability to prove the null
hypothesis, these examples fail to take into account the differences
between oscilliscopes and the human ear. At such time as a device is
developed which can be shown to reliably quantify the full range of
stimuli received and processed by the human ear such studies may, in
fact prove crucial. However, I would argue that aural perception of
timbre is an overdetermined phenomenon not currently replicable in
the laboratory.

This is not, however, to suggest that current studies be dismissed.
These studies show us a great deal about how various factors in
instrumental design affect acoustic performance and ultimately aural
perception. But when human subjects replicably report differences not
measured by our devices, that should be an indication that the
phenomenon is more complex than previously though, and deserves
further study.

BBB
- -
B.B. Bean - Have horn. Will travel.
http://www.cris.com/~Bbbean