Chapter 12 page 269
Does the individual Does the individual Does the individual
accept the data offer an explanation alter the current
Response as valid? for the data? theory?
Ignoring no no no
Rejection no yes no
Uncertainty unsure no no
Exclusion yes, no, or doesn’t care no, because it’s irrelevant no
Abeyance yes not now, but no
possibly later
Reinterpretation yes yes no
Peripheral theory change yes yes yes, partly
Theory change yes yes yes, completely
Here are examples of the seven responses for the example of the MacKenzie River in Canada.
Response
type
Example Does the
individual accept
the data as valid?
(In this case, does
he think that the
map is drawn
correctly, since
that is the data
shown to him.)Does the individual
offer an explanation
for the data?Does the individual
alter his/her current
theory?Ignoring The student hears the information
about the MacKenzie River but
doesn’t pay much attention to it,
except to think that there must be
something wrong with it. The
student still believes that all rivers
flow from north to south.
No, he thinks there
is something
wrong with it.No, he doesn’t even
think about why the
map might show the
MacKenzie River to
be going northward.No, he still thinks
that rivers flow from
north to south.Rejection The student declares that the map
maker has made a mistake--it’s
impossible for a river to be going
that direction.
No, he thinks there
is a mistake on the
map.Yes, he thinks that the
map shows a river
going north because
the map maker made
an error.No, he still thinks
that rivers flow from
north to south.