Attn Siderea

[dsrtao]

If you haven't been following the fanfic/cogsci/IRB-fail, you want to.

http://jonquil.livejournal.com/892111.html is a good wrapup.

Other people might find it interesting, too.

Comments

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

One of the two guys involved lives/lived in Waltham, and went to Viable Paradise one of the years I was staff. So I've been hearing about this for a few days now. Small world.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Small world.

I know the kids the intro story is about. Of course, they aren't kids any more.

[siderea]

Thanks for the callout. I was aware something was going on, but hadn't gone investigating.

[seawasp]

I have no interest if it has any relationship whatsoever to any of the other *Fail stuff on LJ which I have, for the most part, assiduously avoided. (The only reason the post caught my eye is for the word "fanfic" in which I have an interest).

Go ahead and avoid it

[metageek.livejournal.com]

The only reason the post caught my eye is for the word "fanfic"

Put it this way: the researchers in question would probably assume that the reason the word "fanfic" caught your eye is that your brain is Abby Normal.

Re: Go ahead and avoid it

[seawasp]

So you're saying they've done good accurate research? Because I am certainly not normal. Unless you use the mathematical definition of "Normal" -- at right angles to everything else.

Re: Go ahead and avoid it

[dsrtao]

First they drew up conclusions, then they sold a book based on those conclusions, now they're doing the research.

Re: Go ahead and avoid it

[metageek.livejournal.com]

So you're saying they've done good accurate research?

More like they got lucky. I think they just came up with a hypothesis based on prejudices.

Because I am certainly not normal.

Good—but it seems their hypothesis would class some people's interest in fanfic as a disorder. That just sounds stupid; but the details are more offensive.

Re: Go ahead and avoid it

[seawasp]

Well, as a psych grad myself, you can class ANYTHING as a disorder if you just describe it right. There's been some excellent research done in psychology. There's also a lot of self-reinforcing voodoo.

As I always say, "Insanity is a state of mind. Sanity is a mindless state."

Re: Go ahead and avoid it

[seawasp]

Ah, proper academic research then.