Wiseman D B
Department of Psychology, Lincroft, New Jersey 07738, USA.
Hist Psychol. 2000 Aug;3(3):262-83. doi: 10.1037/1093-4510.3.3.262.
This article examines Kenneth Spence's human learning research from 1949 to 1967. His works show the conditioning field to be in turmoil over basic issues during this time. These issues included whether determinism should be accepted, how to interpret a psychological test score, what psychometric properties a test should have, and how to use theoretical constructs. Turmoil occurred because behaviors and events had different meanings and degrees of importance to different investigators. Thus, what appeared as "objective" scientific change in the conditioning field was really the adaptation of personal preferences in word meanings, research goals, and research methods. These issues also indicate disputes about definitions and purposes of scientific activity during Spence's era.
本文考察了肯尼斯·斯彭斯在1949年至1967年间的人类学习研究。他的著作表明，在此期间，条件作用领域在一些基本问题上陷入了混乱。这些问题包括是否应该接受决定论、如何解释心理测试分数、测试应具备哪些心理测量属性以及如何使用理论构想。之所以出现混乱，是因为行为和事件对不同的研究者有着不同的含义和重要程度。因此，在条件作用领域看似“客观”的科学变化，实际上是个人在词义、研究目标和研究方法上的偏好的体现。这些问题也表明了斯彭斯时代关于科学活动的定义和目的的争论。
