Contextual discipline: Its essentiality within social-systems analysis

Abstract

It is argued that contextual discipline, under which all acts of judgment (such as assumptions) during a given evaluation are drawn from one designated contextual pattern, is essential if such judgments are to be associated later in any meaningful way. Further, if several studies are conducted with reference to dissimilar contexts, expect their results to be as nonintegrable as parts of several randomly selected jigsaw puzzles. A corresponding requirement exists in regard to statistical inference: if contextual discipline is lacking, so that data are drawn from dissimilar contexts, do not mix those data together. The importance of contextual discipline is observable from practice, but itcan be supported logically as well. The reasons derive from a context-matching theory of choosing (decision making). That theory is treated in detail in a companion paper; here, it is summarily described and defended. Past examples showing the importance of contextual discipline are adduced, along with revolutionary impacts upon social-systems analysis if the case presented here is sound.