Not Envious of Physicists

I have always considered myself lucky to work in a field where I am paid to learn about people and the world around me everyday. I have also always hated science, but not because it made me feel inferior. Clarke and Primo make the argument that social scientists have adopted practices of "hypothetico-deductivism" as a way to squash their inferiority complexes. Although I do not think any of us feel inferior, I do  agree with them that social scientists should feel less pressure to emulate hard scientists, and should consider widening the definition of "test."

Clarke and Primo give valid examples of certain accepted theoretical models that are not supported by empirical testing, for example two opposing candidates who move to the middle in an election, in order to not miss out on moderate voters. We have seen this theory "tested," although not in a scientific way, through numerous election cycles. Just last year we saw Mitt Romney struggle to bring his campaign back to the middle after an extended primary campaign. Many journalists would consider that theory proven, just by looking at history, rather than by creating a testable hypothesis and waiting for results. We have the luxury of watching live subjects react to the world around them, and perhaps we would be better off not hypothesizing.