Those who teach experimental psychology and research design might
want to ponder the philosophical implications of a disturbing new
study just published in the British Medical Journal by Taylor et
al (2000).
(at http://bmj.com/cgi/content/short/321/7259/471)
They reported the results of an apparently exemplary double-blind
study of homeopathy vs placebo for treatment of nasal allergy.
They found a clear improvement in an objective measure of nasal
airflow for homeopathy (but curiously, not for a measure of
subjective improvement). The results support findings for three
previous trials by this group.
What's the problem? It's that homeopathy is biological nonsense,
as it uses as a curative agent a substance so diluted that no
molecules of it can exist in the administered product. So the
philosophical problem is to reconcile convincing empirical
evidence with the knowledge that the finding is not
understandable according to known scientific principles. The
parallel to ESP is obvious except that ESP supporters have no
study of a strength similar to this one to point to.
Distateful as it may be, in such cases the possibility of fraud
must be considered. The fact that the four successful trials have
all come from one group is one factor, as is the fact that the
research was funded by homeopathy organizations, and one of the
authors uses the therapy in clinical practice. Similar
considerations are commonplace for experiments in orthodox
medicine, of course, but the outcome of such experiments are at
least consistent with basic scientific principles.
This finding deserves attention but not yet acceptance. What is
needed now is an exact replication by an independent group of
researchers with no ties to homeopathy.
-Stephen
Taylor, M. et al (2000). Randomised controlled trial of
homeopathy versus placebo... BMJ, 231, 471--
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Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470
Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661
Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lennoxville, QC
J1M 1Z7
Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy
Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at:
http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/
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