[lbo-talk] NPR: A Neuroscientist Uncovers A Dark Secret

[Miles Jackson]

Somebody Somebody wrote:
> It fascinates me how many neuroscientists seem to be unaware of or 
> unconcerned with the fact that they're drawing conclusions about the 
> neurophysiological causes of behavior from correlational studies.
>
>
> Somebody: Right, because drawing correlations with social phenomena or class position is evidently more scientifically rigorous than positing that human behavior might have neurological premises. 
>
>
> Let's face it. Everybody has a dog in this race. There are no disinterested voices of reason, who would sift through the data of modern neuroscience irrespective of the implications for their political fantasies. 

In fact, one of the examples I use to highlight this logical fallacy in 
my research methods course is the correlation between social class and 
educational outcomes.  Demonstrating an association between poverty and 
lower educational outcomes does not provide us with compelling evidence 
that reducing poverty would cause an improvement in educational 
outcomes.  Sure, everybody has a dog in this race, and when people 
engage in logical fallacies and sloppy reasoning--whether they're 
neuroscientists or lefty activists--I call them on it.

Miles