Dear Lumpers and Splitters

Well, I had a professor who talked of 'ints' and 'rigs'. ( I think I'm older than Suler!!) This had to do with controlled experimentation always being a combination of 'how interesting the research was' versus "how rigorously the research was designed and variables controlled".

While John and Phil can talk about the research they are doing or want to do--- my textbooks and journals have mountains of 'research' that may make it to the land of Oz, but have failed over decades to contribute to coherent, well validated theories that truly advance the field. Lots and lots and lots of very interesting ideas have been written about- but alas, we still end up as a 'social science'- as 'research' goes on and on and on- with no clear coherency as to where it leads.

• too complex by John Suler, 3/30/98