Answer: Black women are unattractive. Question: WHAT!!!
A research psychologist, myself, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about over the Satoshi Kanazawa article:
"Why Are Black Women Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women? Why black women, but not black men?" Published on May 15, 2011 by Satoshi Kanazawa in The Scientific Fundamentalist
I have come to the defense of scientists, in the past, who were castigated for their research because the results and interpretations flew in the face of political and religious correctness. The biologist Eric Pianka at UT Austin was one. So I wanted to see if Kanazawa did his homework. Please note, that I did not start with "How could he state such an hypothesis that is offensive?" This is not where scientific criticism starts.
I read the review, "The Data Are In Regarding Satoshi Kanazawa" by Khadijah Britton, May 23, 2011 10:10 AM. HERE. I looked at the original blog post by SK. HERE. I was ready to see if he should have said that such-and-such a group thought black women were less attractive than other women. Perhaps black women were quite attractive to everyone, but the edge went to the other groups. In other words, I wanted to keep an open mind and see what he was up to.
Here is my conclusion:
The guy does not know his ass from his elbow when it comes to doing careful research, and thinking deeply about his interpretations. Others are saying this more elegantly, and after spending a lot more time on analyzing his analysis. However, he should not be criticized for his offensive hypothesis. He should, however, be thrown out of The London School of Economics for being a fucking incompetent scientist. Also, he makes the standard mistake that so many other researchers make about factor analysis. FA is a convenient way to sort the papers on your cluttered desk, and in this regard it is can be very helpful. FA is not, and never will be, a royal road to truth.
White is good. Black is bad.
Many of you are familiar with the Clarkes' Doll Studies of the 1940s. Black children preferred white dolls over black. These studies were repeated in very recent years, and you can find the videos on the Internet. In choosing between black and white dolls, black children still prefer white dolls. What is wrong with the black dolls that keeps them from being preferred? They are black, say the children. Black children, in this repeat study, found white dolls more 'attractive' than black dolls. Is this racist? No. It is, however, heartbreaking. Watch the videos and listen to these children as they explain their choices. It will make you cry.
Some food for thought about science
Thirty-five years ago, mathematician Jacob Bronowsky produced a video series for public television, "The Ascent of Man." The program dealt with the intellectual development of Western civilization. It is still quite good, and can be found on the Internet.
Bronowsky was as pro science as one can get. However, he was cautionary about unbridled science. In one segment, he stood in a lake, a few meters from the shore, with shoes and socks off, and his trousers rolled above his knees. This was where the crematoria ashes from a Nazi extermination camp were flushed. Among the ashes were those of friends and family. Alluding to the science and engineering that was devoted to the technical efficiency with which people were murdered without even a passing thought, he imparted a lesson to all science and all scientists. Scientific truth in the abstract is not a value that supersedes all other human values. Scientists cannot pursue their intellectual and technical interests without stopping to consider the consequences to the rest of humankind.
Black doll, White doll. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybDa0gSuAcg
Posted by: Norman Costa | May 31, 2011 at 08:41 AM
This is what a friend who is a whiz at both statistics and biology had to say about Kanazawa.
Kanazawa may be in a pickle now at the London School of Economics. But as you said, let it be about his shoddy scientific methods and not the topic which is being termed as hate speeech by many. But I agree with your point. There is not "value" to all research just because one can do it. Evolutionary psychology is in any case a field fraught with all sorts of social minefields. When scientists make sweeping conclusions based on spurious data, it is not a surprise that some begin to call the whole field pseudo-science.
Posted by: Ruchira | May 31, 2011 at 12:41 PM
One of my research professors, in graduate school, commented on the value of learning psychological statistics. She said, without hesitation, "It gives you power over people who do not know statistics." Coming to know her research over the next couple of years only served to diminish, further, the low esteem I had of her as a researcher.
Posted by: Norman Costa | May 31, 2011 at 02:10 PM