Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: This paper introduces pragmatic hypotheses and relates this concept to the spiral of scientific evolution. Previous works determined a characterization of logically consistent statistical hypothesis tests and showed that the modal operators obtained from this test can be represented in the hexagon of oppositions. However, despite the importance of precise hypothesis in science, they cannot be accepted by logically consistent tests. Here, we show that this dilemma can be overcome by the use of pragmatic versions of precise hypotheses. These pragmatic versions allow a level of imprecision in the hypothesis that is small relative to other experimental conditions. The introduction of pragmatic hypotheses allows the evolution of scientific theories based on statistical hypothesis testing to be interpreted using the narratological structure of hexagonal spirals, as defined by Pierre Gallais.
Source: Entropy
DOI: 10.3390/e21090883
Institutions: Universidade de São Paulo, Universidade Federal de São Carlos
Language: English
Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,621
Awards: G1207375514, G1317009434, G1372431396, A flexible approach to high-dimensional conditional density estimation, G1866334296, Neural networks in statistical inference problems, G2486662831, CeMEAI - Center for Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry, Interpretability and efficiency in hypothesis tests, G29316538, G295657101, G298771608, G3354669177, G3572101131, G390121578, G4026050400, G6419028478, G6669552033, G713732004, G7696339486, Brasil Research Centre for Gas Innovation, G871200192
OpenAlex ID: W2906106914