Are rival theories of smoking underdetermined?

Are rival theories of smoking underdetermined?

Some empirically minded philosophers of science argue that the evidence should choose the best theory from among theoretical rivals. However, the evidence may not speak clearly, a problem of ‘underdetermination of theory by data’. We examine this problem in a concrete setting, rival theories of smoking behaviour. We investigate whether several uncontested pieces of empirical evidence allow us t...

Why Is “ Bad ” Parenting Criminogenic ? a Test of Rival Theories

Evaluating Cases in Legal Disputes as Rival Theories

In this paper we propose to draw a link from the quantitative notion of coherence, previously used to evaluate rival scientific theories, to legal reasoning. We evaluate the story of the plaintiff and the defendant in a legal case as rival theories by measuring how well they cohere when accounting for the evidence. We show that this gives rise to a formalized comparison between rival cases that...

An experimental comparison between rival theories of rapid automatized naming performance and its relationship to reading.

Two studies investigated the degree to which the relationship between rapid automatized naming (RAN) performance and reading development is driven by shared phonological processes. Study 1 assessed RAN, phonological awareness, and reading performance in 1010 7- to 10-year-olds. Results showed that RAN deficits occurred in the absence of phonological awareness deficits. These were accompanied by...

Driver Negligence vs. Odometer Miles: Rival Theories to Explain 12 Predictors of Auto Insurance Claims

This paper challenges accepted explanations for well-established correlations. The correlations allow insurers to assign cars to groups that predict accident and claim frequencies per 100 insured car years. Correlations with driver age and regional geography can be explained by variations in accident involvements per million miles established by engineering studies and are not considered in thi...