Chinese Journal of Sociology

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From Tool to Paradigm: Reflecting upon the Controversies Regarding Hypothesis Testing from a Sociology of Knowledge Perspective

  

  1. LV Xiaokang, Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University
  • Online:2014-11-20 Published:2014-11-20
  • Contact: LV Xiaokang, Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University E-mail:xkdog@126.com

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Abstract: Statistical tools are not constructed and employed in a social vacuum, but in a context penetrated with personal opinions and unique value pursuit of particular discipline. Null Hypothesis Significance Testing (NHST) is the dominant hypothesis testing method used in current empirical studies. Originating from Fisher’s significance test theory, NHST was later transformed by Neyman and Pearson and other textbook editors. However, Fisher did not recognize NeymanPearson’s “improvement” on his original test theory and NHST is not identical with NeymanPearson’s hypothesis testing theory. But those disputes are basically ignored in the practice of social scientists’ studies. NHST, having been suffering from severe attacks from statisticians and its appliers since the 1960s, evolves to the most popular, if not the only, hypothesis testing procedure applied in the contemporary empirical studies. The answer to this paradoxical phenomenon lies not in the superiority of NHST, but in the simplicity of this method. It satisfies the grand vision of social scientists in which different social sciences have to become objective scientific branches that provide accurate knowledge to the public. Researcher would rather use a pragmatic, though not perfect, tool to make definite judgment on the validity of decisions, than to debate on the technical details that which procedure is the best hypothesis testing procedure. NHST thus transforms itself from an ordinary statistical tool to a paradigm which demonstrates the value tendency of the whole discipline, provides exemplary problem solving techniques and leads to a fast accumulation of knowledge within a particular field. This tooltoparadigm shift is a typical example of knowledge ritualization for social sciences when they endeavor to project themselves as accurate sciences. Sociology of knowledge provides reflection on this statistical ritual of hypothesis testing that may prompt social scientists to rethink the overrevered statistical methods in social science studies and foster a more open atmosphere towards the multiple research approaches existing within different disciplines.

Key words: Null Hypothesis significance testing , sociology of knowledge , hypothesis testing , paradigm , scientific knowledge