Psychology of the Scientist: LXVI. The Idiot Savants Have Taken over the Psychology Labs! or Why in Science Using the Rejection of the Null Hypothesis as the Basis for Affirming the Research Hypothesis is Unwarranted

Abstract

The fable of a group of idiot savants, who conduct methodologically flawless research to test senseless research hypotheses and are able to affirm some of them on the basis of the rejection of the null hypothesis, is used to dramatize the argument that the rejection of the null hypothesis, by itself, is not sufficient grounds for affirming the research hypothesis. Reasons and examples are given to argue that affirmation of a scientific hypothesis must be based primarily on substantive evidence that is independent of an hypothesis test.