Abel's Social Sciences (in class notes)

Verstehen Position vs. Abel's Position

1. Experiments are a crucial part of Natural Sciences, but can't conduct experiments in Social Sciences.

Experiment- in future...we predict based on theory

Observation- hypothesis- experiments- Analysis- Law- Theory

Independent vs. Dependent
Independent is what is changed; the manipulated variable changes the dependent variable

But...Natural Sciences- really conduct experiments?

• Astronomy
• Geology
• Ecology
• Animal Behavior-Biology-Zoology-Primatology

2. Natural Sciences repeat experiments in order to generalize.

It is impossible to generalize.

1 gallon of H20= 1 gal.

But...

Is water really the same in Falmouth as in New Zealand?

3. Natural scientists can predict because all variables are controlled.

But...

both sciences disregard certain variables

physics- law of falling objects

4. Verstehen position is: no social scientist can predict with any certainty. Abel position is: Social scientists can make predictions based on obvious things like the fact that no woman will be the elected Pope in 2010.

5. No constants in Social Sciences.

exaggeration- Law of Diminishing Returns- ex.) mortality constant