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Dimensional versus conceptual incommensurability in the social and behavioral sciences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2024

Eugene Vaynberg
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA eugenev@sas.upenn.edu hoffmakn@sas.upenn.edu jacqwa@sas.upenn.edu weisberg@phil.upenn.edu https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/eugene-vaynberg https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/kate-nicole-hoffman https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/jacqueline-mae-wallis https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-weisberg
Kate Nicole Hoffman
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA eugenev@sas.upenn.edu hoffmakn@sas.upenn.edu jacqwa@sas.upenn.edu weisberg@phil.upenn.edu https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/eugene-vaynberg https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/kate-nicole-hoffman https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/jacqueline-mae-wallis https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-weisberg
Jacqueline Mae Wallis
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA eugenev@sas.upenn.edu hoffmakn@sas.upenn.edu jacqwa@sas.upenn.edu weisberg@phil.upenn.edu https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/eugene-vaynberg https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/kate-nicole-hoffman https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/jacqueline-mae-wallis https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-weisberg
Michael Weisberg*
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA eugenev@sas.upenn.edu hoffmakn@sas.upenn.edu jacqwa@sas.upenn.edu weisberg@phil.upenn.edu https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/eugene-vaynberg https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/kate-nicole-hoffman https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/jacqueline-mae-wallis https://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-weisberg
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

This commentary analyzes the extent to which the incommensurability problem can be resolved through the proposed alternative method of integrative experiment design. We suggest that, although one aspect of incommensurability is successfully addressed (dimensional incommensurability), the proposed design space method does not yet alleviate another major source of discontinuity, which we call conceptual incommensurability.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

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