FSU Professor fired for fake racism

Why do you think there are professors faking studies to prove racism in America is alive and pervasive?

 

@mutz87 is our expert here, but I think this question is more scientifically fraught than it might first appear. How do we define systemic racism? What is the measure of it? How are we to disentangle the effects of racism from the multitudes of other factors that impact life outcomes? All non-trivial issues.

 

Great question. You framed it well.
If you don’t mind, can you step outside the classroom and address it from your personal pov?
Why do you think professors want to fake racism studies?
My cursory take is that the media and the narrative from the left has made an issue seemingly much bigger than it is in reality.
And this is making matters worse for our diverse population.

 

Fair question. I'd answer first with, why does anyone cheat?

The obvious answer is because there is something/s to be gained--or in some cases--there is enormous pressure to meet deadlines or other demands. Although I can't dismiss that the topic itself plays a role here, it's probably less about ideological want of proving racism and more about such findings increasing the likelihood of research getting published in top journals and leading to the researcher developing a reputation as a noted topical expert.

Same time, "proving" (or as I would call it, finding evidence of) system bias etc... is kind of easy to do with publicly available data from official sources like FBI/police/probation/courts because it's been so consistent and widespread long before this became a very public debate.

 

I am not an expert on racism research, but I can say that scientific fraud is not limited to that field. An animal ecologist who was previously in my department was recently found guilty of fraud as well. Not to mention the recent ironic falsification of data from a researcher that studies honesty.

Many people are investigating why this fraud is happening, but certainly such behavior would help with the current incentive structure of academia, which require that professors publish often. And negative publications (ie those that don’t find a positive relationship) are rarely published, so there is a large incentive to find positive effects.

 

Damn all this time I thought I was the only one blocked by that person. Kinda typical of his type, if he doesn't agree with you he doesn't want to discuss it. Just wants to cover his ears and block you out.

 

What's worse than getting dumped by a 2? Several years ago a fairly well known Tampa defense attorney's wife left him for a convicted serial killer who was under a death sentence.

 

I’d say finding systemic racism is easy to do because it’s a popular and people are certainly looking for it.
I really believe you can find anything if you look hard enough.
That’s my concern on the liberals owning the media.
Thank you for your post.

 

Although a bit off topic, the irony of the Ariely case reminds me of John Ioannidis coauthoring some early covid studies in CA that were found to have several methodological problems.

Might not be quite the same, but the pressures of publish or perish can certainly lead to fraudulent and/or just sloppy work (which itself can be a form of fraud).

 

This gives credence to my previous assertion that getting published isn’t as significant as some believe.
You guys ridiculed me for saying I don’t usually believe in the liberal articles…here’s exhibit A.
Liberals are 100% behind such research and it’s actually surprising to me that someone got busted for bogus research.

 

Academic fraud, like papers on autism?

I’m done

 

Yet, there are those who don't think there's systemic racism in America and blame liberals for ruining the country. Such idiocy has always been with us and just has to be put up with.

 

You have a closed mind and need help with open-mindedness. I say this at the risk of…lol…you blocking me again because you don’t like what I have to say.
Systemic racism is not real and it is not a pervasive issue. It’s a liberal agenda looking at human nature and history and attaching their “it’s not fair” mantra to it.
Please turn CNN off.

 

Some people cheat. It's not unique to any occupation or any politics. Some cheat. I don't know the psychology ... maybe some are naturally dishonest and others have good intentions but feel the need to embellish or outright lie.
Obviously, this doesn't mean that systemic race doesn't exist anymore than it does. All that it changes is a reminder that publishers figure out better ways to make sure what they're printing is true. And that any single study should be taken with a grain of salt by the media and the public.

 

Getting published is critical, but also incredibly hard to do in top tier journals that all have very low acceptance rates. That process and the professional pressures to publish are also what drives some people to cheat. Some ways, it's not any different than any other profession.

Funny thing, a liberal might have been behind that academic fraud, but it was also a liberal coauthor and other liberal academics that helped expose him and torpedo his career.

FWIW, I know I ridiculed you, mainly because you seem stuck on only being able to view issues through a rigid left/right binary.Not meant as an insult, just my observation based on your posts.

 

How many conservatives would endeavor to research this topic?
Please, it’s rhetorical.
It’s not hard to see from the outside.

 

You are using one instance of academic fraud to cast a wide net.

 

See river’s post above. Even the source is suspect the info appears accurate.

 

That guy deserves a lot of props. Takes real principles to stand up to a mentor who was almost certainly also a friend.