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The Consequences of Atheoretical, Task-Driven Experimentation: Theoretical Comment on Paban, Chambon, Jaffard, and Alescio-Lautier (2005)

V, Paban, C. Chambon, M. Jaffard, and B. Alescio-Lautier (2005) concluded that their evidence “demonstrates the independence of aging and cholinergic lesion effects” and stated that “this was quite unexpected” (p. 943). This commentary suggests that the authors' negative findings were predictable, r...

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Published in:Behavioral Neuroscience Vol. 120; no. 2; pp. 493 - 496
Main Author: Sarter, Martin
Format: Article
Published: American Psychological Association April 2006
Subjects:
Age factors in memory
Brain function localization
Laboratory rats
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        10.1037/0735-7044.120.2.493
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        atl: The Consequences of Atheoretical, Task-Driven Experimentation: Theoretical Comment on Paban, Chambon, Jaffard, and Alescio-Lautier (2005)
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        au: Sarter, Martin
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        Age factors in memory
        Brain function localization
        Laboratory rats
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        subj:
          Age factors in memory
          Brain function localization
          Laboratory rats
      ab: V, Paban, C. Chambon, M. Jaffard, and B. Alescio-Lautier (2005) concluded that their evidence “demonstrates the independence of aging and cholinergic lesion effects” and stated that “this was quite unexpected” (p. 943). This commentary suggests that the authors' negative findings were predictable, resulting from a focus on behavioral tests and functions unrelated to present evidence and theory concerning the cognitive functions of forebrain cholinergic systems. The article by V. Paban el al. serves as a useful illustration for the importance of theory- and hypothesis-driven assessment of behavioral functions, and for the unproductive consequences of experiments treating behavioral tests as assays used merely for the generation of behavioral correlates. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
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    language: English
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