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Occam's Razor |
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Occam's Razor The simplest expression of scientific truth; where 2 theories exist to explain a similar phenomenon, the one making the fewest assumptions should prevail—i.e., it should be no more complicated than necessary. In keeping with Occam’s razor, generalisations should be based on observed facts and not on other generalisations
Occam's razor a principle named after William of Occam, a 14th century philosopher. The generalization states that, if there are a number of explanations for observed phenomena, the simplest explanation is preferred. Called also scientific parsimony. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Nevertheless, the point of this example is to show that the phrasing of the question, as an additional source of stimulus control, can influence success or failure on the false belief test and, therefore, may offer a more parsimonious explanation of the performances of some subjects. Because wind and light conditions could be excluded as a common denominator determining the body axis orientation, magnetic alignment is the most parsimonious explanation," says the study published in the August 25 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The most parsimonious explanation of any improvement in the client's condition would be regression to the mean: that is, he came into treatment when at his most distressed point, and the natural variability of mood and behavior then caused movement toward an improved state. |
Parsimonious explanation |
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