It was fascinating to read in Lee S. Schulman’s (1988) prologue on disciplined inquiry about the controversy over experimental versus correlation, especially in regard to the interests of each kind of researcher. He says that correlationalists “see nature as presenting itself for inspection and the role of the scientist as that of identifying which of the variations that nature presents are associated with other processes or outcomes”(pg. 15). Alternately, experimentalists are interested only in “the variations they themselves create” (pg. 15). This basic premise is often ignored when generalizing the research findings. As an architect, I am extremely skeptical when a researcher tells me that I need to design smooth, blue, cocoonish spaces because (Augustin 2009) says a comfortable space for an individual is one that has the qualities of a refuge (from caveman days), or that using the color blue in my designs is most preferred by individuals because “living on the savanna, blue meant good things. Fresh water when seen from a distance is blue. A sky during pleasant weather is blue” (pg.12) and Bar and Neta (2007) found that the shape of objects, from everyday items like furniture to novel patterns, could cause a fear reaction in individuals. Contoured items were preferred while sharp items increased amygdala activation in the brain, which indicates fear processing.
These analogies are much in line with Shulman’s example “foot size is correlated and vocabulary are correlated in the general population, but that does not mean that large feet cause larger word knowledge (or vice versa)” (pg. 15). It is, therefore, extremely important to examine the original research, acknowledging the method employed, studying the underlying purpose and questions posed by the researcher and imagining other ways to answer that same question.
Also, I was highly inspired by Shulman’s discussion of a “Community of Scholars and Scholarship as Community Property” (pg. 26).
I now feel that this PhD I am earning is less of a diploma that I have achieved something and more of a membership card into a fraternity [sorry] thousands of years old with our own traditions and regalia and responsibility to further the quest for knowledge.
As this writer cited Ebbinghaus (originally1883) and the works of Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC), my work can live on and be a foundation for great contributions in the future.
Augustin, S. (2009) Place Advantage: Applied psychology for interior architecture. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.
Bar, M. and Neta, M. (2007) Visual elements of subjective preference modulate amygdala activation, Neuropsychologia, 45 pgs. 2191–2200
Shulman, “Disciplined Inquiry” (p. 3-69 [including Tyack piece] in Jaeger)
Jaeger, Richard M. (Ed.). (1997). Complementary methods for research in education, second edition. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
Complementary methods for research in education / edited by Richard M. Jaeger ; [contributors, Tom Barone ... et al.]. 1997 LB1028 .C577 1997 available, Lesley-Sherrill Library Main Stacks
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