Theme 1: Pre reflection (Lucy)
I like the way you put things.
"Russell argues that real or true knowledge is extremely hard to identify (if not impossible?) since people's knowledge is based on sense-data, which varies from individual to individual"
Who is to say that a crazy person's view is not a real view more less THE real view of how things go down. It is quite impossible to establish a "true reality" as reality as it seems is limited to the dimensions of each individual.
Moreover- what makes a "crazy person" a crazy person? Where's the threshold of insanity and who defines it..?
Theme 1: (Jenny Silen)
I was not entirely sure of what question number 3 was about until I read your blog- post:
"When Adorno and Horkheimer talks about the by the new media, a concept they are highly critical of, what they refer to seems to be the mass production of cultural material, such as soap operas, cartoons and stunt movies etc. It is the easy consumption of popular culture on TV, radio and movie theatres that creates passive and stupid consumers (people)".
Thank you! It seems all these points and questions and answers overlap and cross over each other. I was also intrigued by your comment:
"I cannot help but wonder if this would be the case also today; is the branding value so important that you need to keep advertising your products even though you cannot produce them, and people cannot buy them."
I recently saw an advertisement in the subway that pretty much stated that: "in the US customer service comes in place 1, in Sweden customer service comes in at place 55". They go on encouraging people to not just try to blindly strive for a cheaper price. When a company promises too much of what they can't deliver, weather it be prices below their own threshold of income or production they quickly turn over and are bankrupted. One fine example is OnOff. In a state where prices are pushed, quality (in variety) and customer service suffers the most. So then the queation remains: are we here to satisfy robotic and static, temporary needs. and is that sufficient? Or should we concentrate on the fact that we communicate with human beings- entities with limitations and specific needs, trying to limit our production to actually fit the end consumer?
Theme 2: Pre reflection (Anna Tjörnebro)
Interesting that you brought out Cosmo and Elle and the Russel theories about "what's real" as that could certainly be a relevant question at hand..
I would also like to fill in that today we're part of the group feeding mass deception to ourselves. We thrive on the simplified ideas of a less advanced world, and as we have opinions of our own we feed them to the mass deception- blob, that in term tells us what our opinions are. It's like a neverending paradox and yet it makes sense...
Somehow I can't help but feel like we reach fr a myth (because just as you wrote- we're not ready to take responsibility for ourselves and so we push the responsibility of the explanations on something else- like a myth). Isn't mass deception a myth? And if so and we still live the mass-deception myth- what does that make us..?
Theme 3 pre reflection: (Iuliia Zabavina)
It's an interesting article you've chosen. Did you know that links between on human beings' physical age and social capital has been established? Basically- the more social capital your environment has, the longer you live.
Social capital is based on things you do together, like talkoo- work. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talkoo#Talkoot). Small villages might have more social capital than larger communities- but it has still nothing to do with a community. For instance, being a member of church is not social capital. Social capital refers not to "us and them" but rather "we and we". So the question "do you trust people around you?" may be tiny as a sentence, but remarkably significant.
Your take on theory seems so much more logical than mine. Thank you.
Theme 3 pre reflection:(christoffer carlsson)
Your layout for the different kinds of theories are very clear. I've been wondering myself how to implement everything into a paper.. As you commented on the article of you chose:
"the lack of analysis is a limitation to this theory. I would like to see some data or facts regarding the change over time (yearly) in number of patients treated at the unit, the number of patients surviving and not at least the change of the actual noise level at the unit."
I also found the same thing in the article I chose. The thing is, however, that if one starts on a new research topic and can't refer to past research, there is no way one can make just conclusions to one's hypotheses... and so the "perfect plan for a fully -ok article" can only be "standing on the shoulders of giants".
In several research papers I also found that an analysis or summing of what the authors found or concluded was missing- as if they wanted to distance themselves from claiming any responsibility to their work.
Theme3 re reflection: (oscar friberg)
Interesting topic. As you day, there' s no way you could define the political outcome of the usage of Twitter. However, if one monitors the link between this usage and political popularity one can establish findings that the reader may interpret freely.
Not so long ago BBC published a documentary on the link between ruling governments and the price of onions in India- and how the price of onions seemed to directly correlate to how people found their government.
Theme 3 pre reflection: (Zahra Al Houaidy)
It's interesting how he manages to summarize the data he's collected and dared to make a hypothesis or at least a vague theory. In many articles it's the other way around- data is collected, presented and yet no conclusions are drawn... possibly for fear of being proven wrong. It's a hard topic and a large one. I can see that it has to be very hard to come to any conclusion at all.
Theme 3 post reflection: (Zahra Al Houaidy)
The comment:
"any finding is only data and it only becomes part of a theory if there is reasoning of why." is interesting when writing about our next topic in Theme 4: Quantitative research. This distinguishes quite clearly the difference between quantitative and qualitative research (even benefits and drawbacks of both).
I've also found that the conclusions in several papers are, in fact, inconclusive, as the authors don't seem to take any responsibility for their study in fear of being wrong.
Theme 3 post reflection: (Cem Atilgan)
I agree with you on that the clarification on what theory is and how searching for theory methods when analyzing an article became MUCH more understandable after discussing it in the seminar group and trying to match theories to a specific article.
I kept subconsciously thinking about a new term for the theory method we came up with in our group- all day...what DO you call a theory method that puts people in a strange environment with strange tools and watch them slowly learn how to cope with the tools they are given based on only their own intuition..? Late that night I came up with "Theory of cognitive sensory intuition"... (theory of cognitive intuition= why we know something without knowing it, just based on intuition and instinct)
I now have a headache :D
Theme 4: (Zahra Al Houaidy)
They focused on the issue of computer usage as a possible contributing factor to glaucoma. However, there are lots of other factors that weigh heavier, such as genes, physical traumas and/or other diseases (caused by lack of education or lifestyle habits). They did not, as it seems, really take into consideration who compromises their health as to how much they use computers. For instance, one factor they mention as a failure was the fact that many of the heaviest computer users were, in fact, computer engineers, with high education and somewhat good standard of living. Furthermore they mention that they only asked people at two separate companies where they assumed computer usage was residing. They wrote "next time we'll focus more on completely random people with computer skills". They found out, though, that about 5,5% of heavy users that were male had tendencies for refraction errors or glaucoma. No women! :D
Theme 4: (Aikaterini Kourti)
Drawing a " map" of an article's structure in an old-school "mind-mapping" way turned out to clarify yet some perspectives that I had not considered before. Establishing links between hypotheses, outcomes and results and marking the paths with possible theories strips an article of all the plus-minus BS that one so often can find in a text, and states how valid and stable the summing of a study is (not in all cases, naturally).
Your text was so clear and such a model-example for the seminar. I didnät get all of it at the seminar, but the more I come back to it now the more clear it gets.
Theme 5: (Mimmi Abrahamsson)
I guess there hasn't been that much on the robotics-for-consumers in the commercial field, but there have been a number of studies on this in medical science for example. Since they measure human response to roborics, it's also been a topic that's caught the interest of psychology studies.
Placing it on the market for consumption is a brilliant (and yet horrifying) idea, and I'm sure we'll hear more about it in the near future, as more companies with large budgets are looking to increase their income.
Theme 5: (on comments on my own blog)
Sorry, guys, not checking comments until now.
I believe you misunderstand me, I mean to say that the "expected result may be a failure". Not the result in itself. One might find results that open doors to further examination that in the beginning wasn't even considered.
This is why I'm more up for qualitative research (and apparently design research as well)- I don't like to go in to prove a point. I relish the challenge of getting results that you didn't expect (or the significance of a result you weren't concentrated on).
If one goes in with quantitative research methods, knowing what answers you're looking for, not getting those answers at all might make the survey fall apart. Then you have to start all over and try to analyze (as you do in qualitative research) new things to look for.
Theme 6: Edvard Ahlsén
Lot's of what you describe I also found in my paper. I often find that the summing at the end is actually inconclusive though at first glance it seems that the hypotheses and conclusions seemed somewhat controlled. After dissecting a paper and critically reviewing it, as you have, one finds the shortcomings of the research. I have a sneaky suspicion that this is a growing phenomenon.
lördag 21 december 2013
torsdag 12 december 2013
Theme 6: Qualitative and case study research
I chose a research paper called ”Simpatico
in store retailing: How immigrant Hispanic emic interpret U.S. store
atmorpherics and interations with sales associates” by D.Fowler, S.Wesley,
M.Vazquez, 2006.
The article was published in Journal of Business.
The article explores the experiences of
Hispanic consumers (shoppers) in the U.S. The areas of focus are those that
have recorded the fastest growing Hispanic population throughout the last
decades (from 1994- about present). These include states such as: South- and
North Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas. The people studied were recent immigrants or
first generation U.S. citizens of Hispanic decent.
The qualitative method used is “focus
groups”. Instead of picking out random people to answer an arbitrary
questionnaire, specific people were chosen (on an objective factor basis) and
studied with more focus on each individual. After that, the data was collected
and analyzed, as usual.
In this case, however, the data was deeper,
heavier and less subject to speculation, as the focus groups made each
participant elaborate on their answers, leaving very little room for additional
interpretation.
I learned that there are more than a few approaches to qualitative research. I chose the article because the method used was different from what I had read earlier. Instead of asking light questions from a large number of people, the authors had gathered random people and interviewed them instead, receiving just as much data but from a completely different perspective. The number of people interviewed in these focus groups is never revealed, leaving a bit too little to trust in the article.
(Since it does provide the reader with a table of percentage of people in categories one could calculate an approximation of the quantity.)
I learned that there are more than a few approaches to qualitative research. I chose the article because the method used was different from what I had read earlier. Instead of asking light questions from a large number of people, the authors had gathered random people and interviewed them instead, receiving just as much data but from a completely different perspective. The number of people interviewed in these focus groups is never revealed, leaving a bit too little to trust in the article.
(Since it does provide the reader with a table of percentage of people in categories one could calculate an approximation of the quantity.)
I wouldn’t call it a problem, but rather an
improvement of the study would be to continue it on a larger scale, inviting
more people to participate in the focus groups and also do the same study with
only a simple questionnaire on the side- and then summerizing the findings of
the two studies.
In this article the findings were that lots of Hispanics felt poorly treated by customer service because of the language barrier. One parameter that I was more interested in was the influence of the atmorpheric design in retail stores (smell, colour, sound- overall sensory impacts). That was introduced at the beginning of the article but never received further (sufficient)attention.
“Behavior and perception of using safety gear among commercial landscapers: A pilot study”; G.Kearney, X.Xu, A.Hight, T.Arcury, Journal od Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2013
In this article the findings were that lots of Hispanics felt poorly treated by customer service because of the language barrier. One parameter that I was more interested in was the influence of the atmorpheric design in retail stores (smell, colour, sound- overall sensory impacts). That was introduced at the beginning of the article but never received further (sufficient)attention.
1. A case study is a qualitative research
method strongly based on a selection of previous research. The purpose of
qualitative research is to strengthen already existing knowledge , used
especially in contemporary environment studies such as social studies.
2. As I had a hard time finding a technical
case study article (and I didn’t want to pick up the same article I chose for
theme 2- which was a clear study case article) I went ahead and chose a case
study article on human behaviour, which I personally find is too often
neglected in the technical aspects:
“Behavior and perception of using safety gear among commercial landscapers: A pilot study”; G.Kearney, X.Xu, A.Hight, T.Arcury, Journal od Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2013
1. The background and reason for the study is
described by previously collected data.
2. A questionnaire was given out to the test subjects that qualified for the study (had sufficient knowledge, education, licenses etc.) based on already existing theories.
3. Even though the selected cases were picked on a quite random basis, they did not vary enough (the instances were a bit limited)- which gave interesting results and made way to new theories and hypotheses at the stage of conclusion- which they acknowledged.
2. A questionnaire was given out to the test subjects that qualified for the study (had sufficient knowledge, education, licenses etc.) based on already existing theories.
3. Even though the selected cases were picked on a quite random basis, they did not vary enough (the instances were a bit limited)- which gave interesting results and made way to new theories and hypotheses at the stage of conclusion- which they acknowledged.
References:
[“Building
Theories from Case Study Research”,
Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 1989”]
[”Simpatico
in store retailing: How immigrant Hispanic emic interpret U.S. store
atmorpherics and interations with sales associates” by D.Fowler, S.Wesley,
M.Vazquez, 2006]
[“The Case Study as a Research Method”, https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~ssoy/usesusers/l391d1b.htm]
[“Behavior and perception of using safety
gear among commercial landscapers: A pilot study”; G.Kearney, X.Xu, A.Hight,
T.Arcury, Journal od Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2013]
Theme 5: Post reflection
I realized the first article I picked out at the beginning of this course was actually somewhat classified as design research. This might explain why I found it a bit harder to dissect into the patterns of analysis that we were supposed to use. At the first lecture Ylva Ferneaus explained and talked about what might be missing in design research papers, such as Comics, Robots, Fashion and Programming: outlining the concept of actDresses, a research paper written by herself and colleagues. A few of the typical things that might be missing turned out to be, quite naturally, the things I had a hard time finding in the first article of my choice.
In the way design research is laid out, it
seems more subject to qualitative research than quantitative research.
Logically, since one “testing out” a design might be very similar to “testing
out an idea” where you’re not sure of the outcome, or particularly interested
in a restricted portion of all the results, this type of research matches the
description of qualitative research more to the point than quantitative
research. The analysis of ones findings is crucial (as in any research case) in
design research, as the tested product is often one completely new to the
market.
During Haibo Li’s lecture a thought that
had struck me earlier was confirmed. It seems, after analysing several articles
in different journals, the younger the research (release date) the more likely
the article is to be inconclusive, lacking parts or theories or just not give
an approximation of the results and findings. This is becoming increasingly
common as the focus of researchers often lies in the quantity of research, the
fear of being wrong or mistaken, the stress and pressure of having to scream
loud to be heard and thus able to support one’s research through external
financing.
It was refreshing to hear someone stripping
all unnecessary BS and slap the “sure you can” on the table, because at the end
of the day the idea behind the work in itself is the essential- not the
implementation (which is only important).
fredag 6 december 2013
Theme 5: Design research
Theme 5
After reading:
Fernaeus, Y. & Jacobsson, M.
(2009). Comics, Robots,
Fashion and Programming: outlining the concept of actDresses. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Tangible and
Embedded Interaction. New York: ACM.
I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the
principles of interaction between human beings. The authors list a set of
different cases where programming robots for commercial use have proven to have
a high success rate.
In the first case, a robot that interacts with certain parameters such as heat detection, detection of attributes (the collar, the shoes, the pyjamas) etc
In the first case, a robot that interacts with certain parameters such as heat detection, detection of attributes (the collar, the shoes, the pyjamas) etc
For a human being these parameters would be
completely uninteresting if we could not control them and therefore get a
sensation of importance or meaning. If we dress up the robot in a certain way,
it will act in a certain, predictable way. If we do something else to it, it
will act in another predictable way. This is how we deceive ourselves into thinking
the robot “reacts” rather than acts, and that we are therefore the “masters” of
that taking place. This evokes different feelings in us, such as empathy,
sympathy, pride, joy etc.
I draw strong parallels between the reasons for this robot succeeding on the market to why people have babies.
In the other example of robots playing tunes, the question of interaction comes into play when one thinks about early cognitive affection. When children are younger and get that revelation (usually around the age of 2) of realizing they exist, they are individuals who can make calls themselves and decide things for themselves, a need for confirmation of that existence also grows. They might act out on this need by eg pressing buttons or just saying “no” to everything, testing their limits to see what happens… or, later in life- get a robot that does things in correspondence to what we do- ie. we’re the masters, the robot is the slave- and best yet, we don’t need to take responsibilities for the shots we call since it’s only a robot.
I draw strong parallels between the reasons for this robot succeeding on the market to why people have babies.
In the other example of robots playing tunes, the question of interaction comes into play when one thinks about early cognitive affection. When children are younger and get that revelation (usually around the age of 2) of realizing they exist, they are individuals who can make calls themselves and decide things for themselves, a need for confirmation of that existence also grows. They might act out on this need by eg pressing buttons or just saying “no” to everything, testing their limits to see what happens… or, later in life- get a robot that does things in correspondence to what we do- ie. we’re the masters, the robot is the slave- and best yet, we don’t need to take responsibilities for the shots we call since it’s only a robot.
2. What role will prototypes play in
research?
Prototypes play a large role in a study. When having an idea and deciding to test it out “in public” using media technology (or any kind of technology) it is fairly important that the prototype of that technology can give certain answers to questions asked in the study. As in many cases, the prototype is a test object used to try out hypotheses and can, of course, as any equipment built by humans, fail… or simply fail to deliver the specific information we’re looking for in the way we expect it.
Prototypes play a large role in a study. When having an idea and deciding to test it out “in public” using media technology (or any kind of technology) it is fairly important that the prototype of that technology can give certain answers to questions asked in the study. As in many cases, the prototype is a test object used to try out hypotheses and can, of course, as any equipment built by humans, fail… or simply fail to deliver the specific information we’re looking for in the way we expect it.
3. Why could it be necessary to develop a
proof of concept prototype?
Before going into battle it’s good to test
the cannons first.
To guarantee or to come closer to guarantee, that the study is feasible, proof of concept is taken into concideration.
In the film industry, for example, using new and advanced, untested technique, especially for animation movies, it’s much more safe to first make a proof-of-concept-film before trying to implement this advanced technology with all its possible drawbacks on a box office massive production. In this case, the proof of concept film is a short animation. Pixar makes a lot of these.
To guarantee or to come closer to guarantee, that the study is feasible, proof of concept is taken into concideration.
In the film industry, for example, using new and advanced, untested technique, especially for animation movies, it’s much more safe to first make a proof-of-concept-film before trying to implement this advanced technology with all its possible drawbacks on a box office massive production. In this case, the proof of concept film is a short animation. Pixar makes a lot of these.
5. Design research can be presented as a “proof-of-concept”
research for further evaluation of more advanced research. If the design
research is a first one of its kind, it might be ground breaking for the
implementation of new technology in the future. The presentation of design
research is usually based on an idea in it’s 2nd of 3rd phase
of its research development, meaning, it’s more advanced than just testing it
out but yet has a long way before one can make proper use of it.
REFERENCES:
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems. Gregor, S. (2006).
Comics, Robots, Fashion and Programming: outlining the concept of
actDresses. Fernaeus, Y. & Jacobsson, M. (2009)..
Turn Your Mobile Into the Ball: Rendering Live Football Game Using
Vibration. Réhman, S., Sun, J., Liu, L., & Li, H. (2008).
Theme 4: Post reflection
Drawing a " map" of an article's structure in an old-school "mind-mapping" way turned out to clarify yet some perspectives that I had not considered before. Without going into detail on the specifics, I will say that visually representating the "signal path" from idea, through hypotheses, outcomes and results and marking the paths with possible theories strips an article of all the plus-minus BS that one so often can find in a text, and states how valid and stable the summing of a study is (not in all cases, naturally).
Having several hypotheses on the go was also something I didn't think of before we drew the lines- each with a quote stating how likely this one hypothesis was to another. What was the final outcome. This is easy to get back to as qualitative research so often wants to prove a theory, hypothesis or an idea and rarely focuses on speculations around it.
Having several hypotheses on the go was also something I didn't think of before we drew the lines- each with a quote stating how likely this one hypothesis was to another. What was the final outcome. This is easy to get back to as qualitative research so often wants to prove a theory, hypothesis or an idea and rarely focuses on speculations around it.
torsdag 28 november 2013
Theme 4: Quantitative research
- Which quantitative method or methods are used in the paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?
- What did you learn about quantitative methods from reading the paper?
- Which are the main methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the quantitative method or methods have been improved?
Journal: The Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
is a journal that covers applied, methodological and theoretical issues. The
journal aims to improve epidemiological knowledge on health worldwide.
Article: Possible association between heavy computer users and glaucomatous visual field abnormalities: a cross sectional study in Japanese workers, M.Tatemici, T.Nakano, K.Tanaka, T.Hayashi, T.Nawa, T.Miyamoto, H.Hiro, M.Sugita, 2004.
Foreword: I chose an article of “age” (very young in scientific standards) because I find that the integrity I find in articles dating back a decade or so is generally larger than of today’s articles.
The article focuses on the possible relationship between heavy computer use and visual field abnormalities. The question at hand is weather heavy computer users have an increased risk of glaucoma.
1. A number of randomly selected Japanese workers (about 10 000) were tested for visual field abnormalities while also undergoing a medical check up. They also replied to a survey and were interviewed about their computer use. This method was mathematical and analytical.
2. As I read about how the survey was laid out, the questions involved, I realized this study was well thought out in theory but really lacked conclusive evidence to support this theory in pursuit. In this particular case, the theory was wild and therefore blindly tested through an empiristic study. The study showed some result that was feely subject to interpretation, but not at all clearly, mathematically likely.
What this study in particular takes into consideration is “what are the qualities of the people we are testing?”- not “what are the qualities of people in general”. As empiristic studies usually show, the focus is on something in particular.
3. This study could have been broader, with subjects from different cultures. As computers in those days were limited (when considering ordinary people) to the “western world” the stress levels of the test subjects were not taken into consideration, for instance. In this particular study, the answers were also sought after to support a theory that had already been established and so I can’t help thinking that maybe the results of this particular study might have been intentionally interpreted in a biased way…
In this case the subjects were a quantity of 10000 people. This might seem like a lot of data leading to an accurate result, however whenever you add to the pot, you upgrade the level of understanding the pot as well. By this I mean the difference between 500 people and 10000 people is that testing the later you have to be preared to also take 200 times more issues into consideration. People are not robots, copied and pasted. They are, in fact, individuals (however manipulated by society they might be).
- Which are the benefits and limitations of using quantitative methods?
- Which are the benefits and limitations of using qualitative methods?
The paper "Physical Activity, stress, and self-reported upper respiratory tract infection (E.Fondell, Y.Lagerros, C.J.Sundberg, M.Lekander, O.Bälter, K.Rothman, K.Bälter) focuses on the investigation on the relationship between a specific set of health issues ( URTI) and percieved stress leveld and physical activity. The study was carried out by usong quantitative research in the common fashion of sending out a web-based questionnaire to some 1500 people (at the end of the study) in between ages 20-60 years of age.
1. The
benefits of quantitative research are a large number of case studies to make
the research as objective as possible. Structured techniques for measuring data
such as surveys and interviews of randomly selected people. Statistical data
gives a mathematically plausible (can’t really ever say that it’s accurate to a
full extent) cause or common nominator. The findings are usually conclusive and
describes the nature of the outcome.
This is why it's often used as a basis for further investigation, particularly in Medical science.
The drawback is that the data doesn’t take any human error into consideration.
No background on the test subject is accounted for nor is any other outcome
that might appear. The only thing that is measured is basically what you were
looking for in the first place.
2. The benefits
of qualitative research is generating a foundation for possible quantitative
research. The number of test subjects might be relatively low, and the findings
may not be conclusive at all, but rather serve as a base for future
investigation.
Qualitative research digs deeper into the research at hand and establishes points, theories and hypotheses for questions such as "why" ans "how". From there, one can make predictions.
research:
[Possible association between heavy computer users and glaucomatous visual field abnormalities: a cross sectional study in Japanese workers, M.Tatemici, T.Nakano, K.Tanaka, T.Hayashi, T.Nawa, T.Miyamoto, H.Hiro, M.Sugita, 2004.]
[Qualitative vs quantitative research, http://www.snapsurveys.com/qualitative-quantitative-research]
[Thomas, M. (2008), Quantitative data analysis in education – By Paul Connolly. British Journal of Educational Technology]
[Physical Activity, stress, and self-reported upper respiratory tract infection (E.Fondell, Y.Lagerros, C.J.Sundberg, M.Lekander, O.Bälter, K.Rothman, K.Bälter)]
måndag 25 november 2013
Theme 3: Post reflection
This theme has been the most giving and in that sense interesting in my opinion. As I'm surfing the blog posts and reading people's ideas and choices for the article, I think to myself: "now we're talking…"
It is intriguing to learn how people think and how they see when criticizing their own and (and mine) article and journal of choice. What's most rewarding is the front row seat to the versatility of aspects, opinions and theories that may (or may not) differ from one's own.
The fact that the topics of so many articles are interesting is just a bonus.
I for one have been able to shed some additional light on a few questions that I raised in the article of my choice by reading (mostly) other blog posts...
On a further note it's interesting how I now, dissecting pretty much every scientific article I come across, lacks a full "menu" of "what theory is". In many articles no clear conclusion is being drawn, perhaps in fear of one day being proven wrong... (...which is like the worst thing that could happen to a self-centered science-geek..)
Cognitive intuition theory.. or something like that...
As there are so many approaches to base an experiment or study on choosing a theory to define one's approach turns out to be quite long-winded.
But searching and searching and searching for theories slowly revealed more to the article than I had first realized. I feel a little more confident dissecting articles as I have a more stable foundation to base my criticism on (which naturally needs more experience in the field).
It is intriguing to learn how people think and how they see when criticizing their own and (and mine) article and journal of choice. What's most rewarding is the front row seat to the versatility of aspects, opinions and theories that may (or may not) differ from one's own.
The fact that the topics of so many articles are interesting is just a bonus.
I for one have been able to shed some additional light on a few questions that I raised in the article of my choice by reading (mostly) other blog posts...
On a further note it's interesting how I now, dissecting pretty much every scientific article I come across, lacks a full "menu" of "what theory is". In many articles no clear conclusion is being drawn, perhaps in fear of one day being proven wrong... (...which is like the worst thing that could happen to a self-centered science-geek..)
Post- post reflection
After the second seminar I had further revelations on what and how to look for theories in articles. Looking for theories to apply to the article of my choice turned out to be quite difficult, as none of the existing theories (from last year's course) matched the exact approach taken in the paper. However, after apparently obsessing over this I found a new theory to match to my article;Cognitive intuition theory.. or something like that...
As there are so many approaches to base an experiment or study on choosing a theory to define one's approach turns out to be quite long-winded.
But searching and searching and searching for theories slowly revealed more to the article than I had first realized. I feel a little more confident dissecting articles as I have a more stable foundation to base my criticism on (which naturally needs more experience in the field).
references
[Intuitive managerial thinking; the use of mental simulations in the industrial marketing context, M.Vanharanta, G.Easton, 2010, Industrial Marketing Management,Volume 39, Issue 3]
[On the use of the auditory pathway to represent image scenes in real-time,
G. Bologna, B. Deville, T.Pun, 2009 Neurocomputing 72]
fredag 22 november 2013
Theme 3: Research and Theory
Journal of choice: Neurocomputing
Neurocomputing publishes on subjects for understanding learning systems and neural networks. These include learning methods, self-organization, artificial intelligence, genetic algorithms, machine learning, cognitive science etc. A few areas where this is taken into consideration are image and signal processing, robotics and resource allocation.
Research article of choice: On the use of the auditory pathway to represent image scenes in real-time (G.Bologna, B.Deville, T.Pun 2009)
The article explores studies and theories in the possibilities to allocate a substitute for the visual sense
through the use of sonics for the visually impaired. The study is being performed and documented in
the research paper making it applied research. Past studies in similar fields are also
documented in the paper.
At the stage of the Introduction, the article lists reasons for the experiment in the form of earlier statistics and past experiments that have led to the inspiration of the idea behind the article. Past experiments and research on the field of vision substitution through technical solutions then continue through a timeline, again listing some research, toward the research described in the article. The walk in time through all research listed makes the argument for the paper very relevant.
The authors of the paper point out that as this is an experiment which doesn't really have any clear predecessors they are limited to more simple methods of carrying out this experiment. They have, thus, taken into consideration that the data they analyze is not complex and cannot therefore be regarded as an absolute truth but rather as guidelines and for further investigation.
The researchers use the HSL colour system to build the visual colour spectrum. They partly continue
an idea for earlier research and use it as an example.
They then proceed to introduce the technical device they've built to be tested throughout the
experiment more thoroughly. Since no earlier research on this exact topic has been presented yet, the
researchers have no "right answers" to check in order to establish wether the experiment is a success
or not. However, the experiments are quite obvious as they among other consist of testing wether blind
people can navigate in open spaces or fold socks in matching colour pairs using this auditory feedback
from the visual colours in the environment. The technical specifications of the device in use is quite
simple. Quite basically one sound represents one hue. As the hue changes the amplitude of that sound
diminishes as the amplitude of the sound represented by the next hue increases i.e. a mix of sounds for
a mix of colour hue. The sounds in question consist of orchestral instruments.
Luminance is also represented by different instruments for bright and dark and are present throughout
the whole spectrum.
The data does not serve as a final "conclusion" of this project, but rather lights up the way to further
investigation of this type of research. The interface used was quite simple and did not represent
complex environments in an accurate way, making the findings quite blurry but strengthening the
theories and idea behind. The reasons for keeping it simple has its benefits, as the data representation is
easier to handle and comprehend. The tools used for measuring and collecting data are, if limited, quite
accurate. The amount of people used for the different experiments is, however, a bit foggy. They do
list a table of people for each test, but fail to mention both background of the people and if it's the same
people that are included in each experiment. Further, they have only made observations on "blind
people" as if this was a collective group of individuals. The experiment does not have room to take into
consideration other factors, such as background, age, musical awareness and other attributes of the
subjects in question.
The main goal of the project was real-time navigation in unknown environments for the visually
impaired. The testing of colour sense through auditory feedback was mainly presented. As the colour
spectrum was limited to the HSL model and the auditory feedback was only translated through the data
measuring HSL, the experiments concentrated on finding one colour in a quite simple environment.
The conclusion was to test the navigational skills of the visually impaired. As human beings are
involved and in focus of learning, the cognitive aspects of sensory data processing also had to be taken
into consideration. I'm sure the conclusions apply to researchers in cognitive neuroscience as well as
to researchers interested in picking up where this project left off.
The signification of this research is quite large, as nothing of this sort has yet been in research. As this is a project still learning how to walk, there are several improvements to be made in order for it to dance. The beginning is promising, however, the lack of human-error factors such as the research behind who the subject in hand is, is a huge hole in the accuracy if not taken into consideration in future research.
I might not have done much differently but list qualities of people that are my test subjects- not for the research itself but rather for the analysis and interpretation of the data I acquire. The psychological association with sound can be defining based on what your background is, and will well define your actions.
In the future, when research in this area has advanced and become more smooth, accurate and complex, it will be of interest even to people outside the circle of the visually impaired. for example the military.
references:
1. Briefly explain to a first year student what theory is, and what theory is not.
2. Describe the major theory or theories that are used in your selected paper. Which theory type (see Table 2 in Gregor) can the theory or theories be characterized as?
3. Which are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?
1. There are several aspects of theory that come down to five types: Analysis, explanation, prediction, explaining and predicting and theory for design and action. Basically theory is a set of data interpreted as a base to support information or outcomes that we've established during our presentation of a case. These theories are formed from objective analysis, trial and error, mathematic calculations and predictions.
Theory is not a mere subjective opinion or conclusion of our personal experiences and/ or interpretations.
2. The theory types in the research paper consisted of: Analysis, Explanation, Design and Action. Indications of future scenarios and implications were left up to the reader to figure out, as the paper clearly stated the research was the first of its kind and therefore could not make complex predictions.
3. The benefits are a clear ground for building an article around. The analysis and explanation is important as the research was yet "one of its kind" and needed clarification to "why" and "what for". Earlier research was dictated to give the reader basic knowledge of understanding the purpose of the experiment better. The data provided was based on common models (HSL) and personal technology and algorithms. The basics for of design of the technology was given in the form of mathematical solutions, explanations, pictures and tables.
Failure to establish predictions about the implementation of the research leaves it hanging in the air as a bit of an enigma. Also it points out what the goal was and at the end if it was reached and therefore successful or if other doors opened and led the investigation into deeper waters- possibly in success as well. When this has been done, it's easier to pick up where the article left off and continue research knowing the relevance to the earlier research.
reference:
http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/528971/scientific-theory
Neurocomputing publishes on subjects for understanding learning systems and neural networks. These include learning methods, self-organization, artificial intelligence, genetic algorithms, machine learning, cognitive science etc. A few areas where this is taken into consideration are image and signal processing, robotics and resource allocation.
Research article of choice: On the use of the auditory pathway to represent image scenes in real-time (G.Bologna, B.Deville, T.Pun 2009)
The article explores studies and theories in the possibilities to allocate a substitute for the visual sense
through the use of sonics for the visually impaired. The study is being performed and documented in
the research paper making it applied research. Past studies in similar fields are also
documented in the paper.
At the stage of the Introduction, the article lists reasons for the experiment in the form of earlier statistics and past experiments that have led to the inspiration of the idea behind the article. Past experiments and research on the field of vision substitution through technical solutions then continue through a timeline, again listing some research, toward the research described in the article. The walk in time through all research listed makes the argument for the paper very relevant.
The authors of the paper point out that as this is an experiment which doesn't really have any clear predecessors they are limited to more simple methods of carrying out this experiment. They have, thus, taken into consideration that the data they analyze is not complex and cannot therefore be regarded as an absolute truth but rather as guidelines and for further investigation.
The researchers use the HSL colour system to build the visual colour spectrum. They partly continue
an idea for earlier research and use it as an example.
They then proceed to introduce the technical device they've built to be tested throughout the
experiment more thoroughly. Since no earlier research on this exact topic has been presented yet, the
researchers have no "right answers" to check in order to establish wether the experiment is a success
or not. However, the experiments are quite obvious as they among other consist of testing wether blind
people can navigate in open spaces or fold socks in matching colour pairs using this auditory feedback
from the visual colours in the environment. The technical specifications of the device in use is quite
simple. Quite basically one sound represents one hue. As the hue changes the amplitude of that sound
diminishes as the amplitude of the sound represented by the next hue increases i.e. a mix of sounds for
a mix of colour hue. The sounds in question consist of orchestral instruments.
Luminance is also represented by different instruments for bright and dark and are present throughout
the whole spectrum.
The data does not serve as a final "conclusion" of this project, but rather lights up the way to further
investigation of this type of research. The interface used was quite simple and did not represent
complex environments in an accurate way, making the findings quite blurry but strengthening the
theories and idea behind. The reasons for keeping it simple has its benefits, as the data representation is
easier to handle and comprehend. The tools used for measuring and collecting data are, if limited, quite
accurate. The amount of people used for the different experiments is, however, a bit foggy. They do
list a table of people for each test, but fail to mention both background of the people and if it's the same
people that are included in each experiment. Further, they have only made observations on "blind
people" as if this was a collective group of individuals. The experiment does not have room to take into
consideration other factors, such as background, age, musical awareness and other attributes of the
subjects in question.
The main goal of the project was real-time navigation in unknown environments for the visually
impaired. The testing of colour sense through auditory feedback was mainly presented. As the colour
spectrum was limited to the HSL model and the auditory feedback was only translated through the data
measuring HSL, the experiments concentrated on finding one colour in a quite simple environment.
The conclusion was to test the navigational skills of the visually impaired. As human beings are
involved and in focus of learning, the cognitive aspects of sensory data processing also had to be taken
into consideration. I'm sure the conclusions apply to researchers in cognitive neuroscience as well as
to researchers interested in picking up where this project left off.
The signification of this research is quite large, as nothing of this sort has yet been in research. As this is a project still learning how to walk, there are several improvements to be made in order for it to dance. The beginning is promising, however, the lack of human-error factors such as the research behind who the subject in hand is, is a huge hole in the accuracy if not taken into consideration in future research.
I might not have done much differently but list qualities of people that are my test subjects- not for the research itself but rather for the analysis and interpretation of the data I acquire. The psychological association with sound can be defining based on what your background is, and will well define your actions.
In the future, when research in this area has advanced and become more smooth, accurate and complex, it will be of interest even to people outside the circle of the visually impaired. for example the military.
references:
Bologna, G. ; Deville, B. ; Pun, T.
Neurocomputing, 2009, Vol.72(4), pp.839-849
[Peer Reviewed Journal] 1. Briefly explain to a first year student what theory is, and what theory is not.
2. Describe the major theory or theories that are used in your selected paper. Which theory type (see Table 2 in Gregor) can the theory or theories be characterized as?
3. Which are the benefits and limitations of using the selected theory or theories?
1. There are several aspects of theory that come down to five types: Analysis, explanation, prediction, explaining and predicting and theory for design and action. Basically theory is a set of data interpreted as a base to support information or outcomes that we've established during our presentation of a case. These theories are formed from objective analysis, trial and error, mathematic calculations and predictions.
Theory is not a mere subjective opinion or conclusion of our personal experiences and/ or interpretations.
2. The theory types in the research paper consisted of: Analysis, Explanation, Design and Action. Indications of future scenarios and implications were left up to the reader to figure out, as the paper clearly stated the research was the first of its kind and therefore could not make complex predictions.
3. The benefits are a clear ground for building an article around. The analysis and explanation is important as the research was yet "one of its kind" and needed clarification to "why" and "what for". Earlier research was dictated to give the reader basic knowledge of understanding the purpose of the experiment better. The data provided was based on common models (HSL) and personal technology and algorithms. The basics for of design of the technology was given in the form of mathematical solutions, explanations, pictures and tables.
Failure to establish predictions about the implementation of the research leaves it hanging in the air as a bit of an enigma. Also it points out what the goal was and at the end if it was reached and therefore successful or if other doors opened and led the investigation into deeper waters- possibly in success as well. When this has been done, it's easier to pick up where the article left off and continue research knowing the relevance to the earlier research.
reference:
http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/528971/scientific-theory
torsdag 21 november 2013
Theme 2: critical media.. Post reflection
I was not surprised that so many in the seminar group had chosen to reflect on "Media Deception". The thoughts on this topic were quite similar to one another and all seemed to link the topic strongly to the present.
The term "enlightenment" was hardly discussed even though the question "what's wrong with myth and who can really claim superiority of science over it??" came up on more than one occasion. It was interesting, however, to see that not many had thought of mass deception, or seemed to a large extent defensive when it came to the question of mass culture.
So many people think that they're not affected by commercials and advertisement that they welcome mass deception with this "go on then, do your worst" attitude. But as with any instance, idea or concept- if there's money involved- it's a log bigger than you would think…
Mass deception is not about advertisement. Advertisement uses Mass deception(on a quite raw note) to their advantage.
When people think "I don't care if someone's monitoring my actions on the internet- I don't think they find them interesting and I have nothing to hide" they're nailed to an illusion of being in contact with the highest in rank. This, of course, is not the truth, as there are so many middle hands involved with their own agendas. Information is power, and whoever has that power can sell it.
So who has power? Leaders, politicians, authority, companies, media… take your pick.
references:
Truth, lies or self-deception? Striatal D2/3 receptor availability predicts individual differences in
social conformity [A.Egerton, E.Rees, S.Bose, J.Lappin, P.Stokes, F.Turkheimer, S.Reeves 2010
The evolution and psychology of self-deception [ W.von Hippel, T.Trivers 2011]
The term "enlightenment" was hardly discussed even though the question "what's wrong with myth and who can really claim superiority of science over it??" came up on more than one occasion. It was interesting, however, to see that not many had thought of mass deception, or seemed to a large extent defensive when it came to the question of mass culture.
So many people think that they're not affected by commercials and advertisement that they welcome mass deception with this "go on then, do your worst" attitude. But as with any instance, idea or concept- if there's money involved- it's a log bigger than you would think…
Mass deception is not about advertisement. Advertisement uses Mass deception(on a quite raw note) to their advantage.
When people think "I don't care if someone's monitoring my actions on the internet- I don't think they find them interesting and I have nothing to hide" they're nailed to an illusion of being in contact with the highest in rank. This, of course, is not the truth, as there are so many middle hands involved with their own agendas. Information is power, and whoever has that power can sell it.
So who has power? Leaders, politicians, authority, companies, media… take your pick.
references:
Truth, lies or self-deception? Striatal D2/3 receptor availability predicts individual differences in
social conformity [A.Egerton, E.Rees, S.Bose, J.Lappin, P.Stokes, F.Turkheimer, S.Reeves 2010
The evolution and psychology of self-deception [ W.von Hippel, T.Trivers 2011]
onsdag 13 november 2013
Theme 2: Critical Media Studies
1. What is enlightenment?
Enlightenment is widely interpreted as the advanced thought. This statement speaks for the theory that "knowledge is power"- in this case, power to conquer oneself, ones fears and limitations. However, there are several views on weather enlightenment includes human sensation and events with yet vague explanations by humans, or only numbers and science.
…Yoda is enlightened.
2. What is the meaning and function of "myth" in Adorno and Horkheimer's argument?
“Myth is already enlightenment, and enlightenment reverts to mythology.” Myth is a tradition that has emerged from the beginning of mankind. Myth is a response to mystery and tends to serve as an explanatory solution to enigmas and unexplained phenomena.
Myth seeks to explain phenomena, just like enlightenment, and is in that sense quite similar. What myth has mainly been used for is for human beings to gain a sense of control of nature by embedding an explanation in something uncertain. When alienated from nature and the natural world, a human being tends to seek reconciliation through domination.
3. What are the “old” and “new” media that are discussed in the Dialectic of Enlightenment?
---
4. What is meant by “culture industry”?
A term that is used to describe how media as it is today, forming a mass culture, is manipulating mass society into idleness and passivity. Culture industry lures the mass into believing they have needs that can be met only by consumption, and ultimately only profits in short term.
5. What is the relationship between mass media and “mass deception”, according to Adorno and Horkheimer?
Mass media is the form of media fed to the masses. Mass culture is a small portion of society represented by the media introduced to the mass in order to create a delusion of a culture where the mass has participated.
6. Please identify one or two concepts/terms that you find particularly interesting. Motivate your choice.
Culture Industry: The fact that consumer hypes promise a solution for a problem one never had in the first place actually, in the long run cheats the consumer of what they promised in the first place.
Pseudoindividuality: The illusion that preserving your identity and emphasizing it can be done by simply choosing from different brands on the market that represent similar qualities of what you're trying to express with your individuality. This illusion means snapping to a grid carefully laid out in a mesh by media and marketing instead of floating around, perhaps not in the mesh at all.
reference:
Dialectic of Enlightenment [M.Horkheimer, T.Adorno, 1944]
Enlightenment is widely interpreted as the advanced thought. This statement speaks for the theory that "knowledge is power"- in this case, power to conquer oneself, ones fears and limitations. However, there are several views on weather enlightenment includes human sensation and events with yet vague explanations by humans, or only numbers and science.
…Yoda is enlightened.
2. What is the meaning and function of "myth" in Adorno and Horkheimer's argument?
“Myth is already enlightenment, and enlightenment reverts to mythology.” Myth is a tradition that has emerged from the beginning of mankind. Myth is a response to mystery and tends to serve as an explanatory solution to enigmas and unexplained phenomena.
Myth seeks to explain phenomena, just like enlightenment, and is in that sense quite similar. What myth has mainly been used for is for human beings to gain a sense of control of nature by embedding an explanation in something uncertain. When alienated from nature and the natural world, a human being tends to seek reconciliation through domination.
3. What are the “old” and “new” media that are discussed in the Dialectic of Enlightenment?
---
4. What is meant by “culture industry”?
A term that is used to describe how media as it is today, forming a mass culture, is manipulating mass society into idleness and passivity. Culture industry lures the mass into believing they have needs that can be met only by consumption, and ultimately only profits in short term.
5. What is the relationship between mass media and “mass deception”, according to Adorno and Horkheimer?
Mass media is the form of media fed to the masses. Mass culture is a small portion of society represented by the media introduced to the mass in order to create a delusion of a culture where the mass has participated.
6. Please identify one or two concepts/terms that you find particularly interesting. Motivate your choice.
Culture Industry: The fact that consumer hypes promise a solution for a problem one never had in the first place actually, in the long run cheats the consumer of what they promised in the first place.
Pseudoindividuality: The illusion that preserving your identity and emphasizing it can be done by simply choosing from different brands on the market that represent similar qualities of what you're trying to express with your individuality. This illusion means snapping to a grid carefully laid out in a mesh by media and marketing instead of floating around, perhaps not in the mesh at all.
reference:
Dialectic of Enlightenment [M.Horkheimer, T.Adorno, 1944]
The Elements of a Scientific Theory of Self-Deception [R.Trivers 2006]
Theme 1- post reflection
This week I collected more names of philosophers' names into my "common- knowledge-bank". Thank you! This means I have an ever so slightly better chance at winning a set in Trivial Pursuit.
The way Russell explains the difference between "true belief" and knowledge is something I, however find interesting. I'm sure the church was not as happy about him sharing of these kinds of thoughts...
We apply true belief into our everyday lives, for instance through commercials and advertisement. A few years back I remember an old friend of mine lecturing her mom about her brushing her teeth too hard... " How on Earth would she ever have accessed knowledge to determine that?" I thought, until I realized she was just basically quoting a TV-commercial that was on air at the time.
She was convinced that she knew the drawbacks of brushing your teeth too hard but couldn't quite put her finger on why she "knew" that, and why she hadn't known that half a year before..
Everyone "knows" that "Vanish" is the perfect remedy for removing stains from fabric...
To yet everyone's surprise- no one can list ANY ingredient in the mix behind Vanish... which further states the critical need to NOT strangle the budget for natural science in schools...
The way Russell explains the difference between "true belief" and knowledge is something I, however find interesting. I'm sure the church was not as happy about him sharing of these kinds of thoughts...
We apply true belief into our everyday lives, for instance through commercials and advertisement. A few years back I remember an old friend of mine lecturing her mom about her brushing her teeth too hard... " How on Earth would she ever have accessed knowledge to determine that?" I thought, until I realized she was just basically quoting a TV-commercial that was on air at the time.
She was convinced that she knew the drawbacks of brushing your teeth too hard but couldn't quite put her finger on why she "knew" that, and why she hadn't known that half a year before..
Everyone "knows" that "Vanish" is the perfect remedy for removing stains from fabric...
To yet everyone's surprise- no one can list ANY ingredient in the mix behind Vanish... which further states the critical need to NOT strangle the budget for natural science in schools...
onsdag 6 november 2013
DM2572 Theme 1
Theme 1 DM2572
Sara Langvik
1. Sense- data is a term
Russell uses to quickly define things we experience through the use of our
senses. This means the “thing” or “object” itself- not the experience or sensation
of it. The sense- data is a rough cut of a wide grid that we can quantize
objects etc. to, helping us clarify the definition of that object on a large
note. Because of the fact that our sense of objects, entities and things
differ, there cannot be a “one correct way” to describe an object to
perfection. Therefore, using sense- data, this has to be done in order to
communicate with each other under a common flag.
2. Proposition is basically
a description of something. This something might have a proper name, which is
the only thing that remains constant between people and different insight and
opinion of this something. This means that the proposition of this something doesn’t
take a stand in weather statements and interpretations of this something are
true or false.
To modern educated people, it seems obvious that matters of
fact are to be ascertained by observation, not by consulting ancient
authorities. But this is an entirely modern conception, which hardly existed
before the seventeenth century. Aristotle maintained that women have fewer
teeth than men; although he was twice married, it never occurred to him to
verify this statement by examining his wives' mouths.
[Russell, Bertrand. The Impact of Science on Society. 1951.]
[Russell, Bertrand. The Impact of Science on Society. 1951.]
* reference: http://www.egs.edu/library/bertrand-russell/quotes
3. Our knowledge of things
is basically split into two dimensions: “truths and judgments”. Our perception
of truth is made up by common facts, or common knowledge, whereas judgment is a
truth that we are acquainted with, such as people we know. Russell uses the
following example to describe the difference:
[this is an interpretation
of Russell’s message- NOT an actual quote]
People know the “man in the
iron mask” existed. A description of him exists (in various forms) in a phrase
of the form “so- and so”. However, we do not actually know ho he was. We can
fill the blanks with propositions, like the most likely candidate for the title
“man in the iron mask”. This candidate will, with certainty be an object with
which we are acquainted with. Then, the proposition merely states that the
candidate has the properties of the man in the iron mask and no one else does.
Russell introduces the
terms: “Ambiguous description” and “Definite description”. The difference
between these two are simply put the definitive article. In the ambiguous
description the description can be less than defining, while in the definite
description the description is defining.
He goes on to state some
points to his theories of truth, falsehood and matter. As a first statement, he
insists that a truth must, like any matter, have an anti-truth, in this case-
falsehood. But since truths and falsehoods are established from belief,
subjectivity and statement, they are not mere matter.
In a world of mere matter there would exist no truth and no falsehood, as these are irrelevant in an objective world.
These two worlds could not coexist in perfection, but our knowledge of things, weather they be beliefs or know-how, are based on a fusion of these two worlds.
In a world of mere matter there would exist no truth and no falsehood, as these are irrelevant in an objective world.
These two worlds could not coexist in perfection, but our knowledge of things, weather they be beliefs or know-how, are based on a fusion of these two worlds.
4. Traditional knowledge,
things we “know” or “learn” are things that translate from a statement through
our interpretation of that statement, into our own opinions. This can be
compared to the conversion between analogue and digital.
In one example Russell talks
about the use of text to distribute information. When reading a text, we, who
are literate, quickly embrace the meaning of the formed words into our
interpretation of what was written. However, an illiterate person looks at the
shape of the text and might see symbols. The text in itself is therefore not a
statement, but we form our own statement through the interpretation of the
text. In many cases, we might then believe that we now have learned a truth, a
fact, when we have actually just established a belief, since looking at the
text, the symbols, is much like looking at a painting or perceptual illusions.
Knowledge about things can
be by proposition or by acquaintance. One does not rule out the other, however,
it does not mean that both are needed. He proceeds to give an example of how he
is acquainted with his own toothache, ant even though his dentist is not, he
still proceeds to know more about the nature of it than the patient himself.
Personal statement:
It is, since we are human
beings communicating with human beings, important to remember the limits to
human perception and psychology.
The factuality is of lesser importance if we do not understand the facts- since facts are, after all, only made up by us who interpret them.
The factuality is of lesser importance if we do not understand the facts- since facts are, after all, only made up by us who interpret them.
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