Abstract

Discusses aspects of controversy in parapsychology from the point of view of science studies and mainstream science. For some decades, in all the various subdisciplines of science studies, the deep examination of controversy has been a growth industry. Science has developed norms and antinorms. Organized dogmatism is among the antinorms of which parapsychology has seen entirely too much in its history. Four main approaches to controversy in science studies include: (1) the positivist approach; (2) the group politics approach; (3) the constructivist approach; and (4) the social structural approach. A method that integrates 1 or more of these 4 approaches is needed to properly understand scientific controversy. Although science analysts disagree on methods, they agree that scientific controversies, in general, provide a particularly fruitful locus for research into the development and refinement of scientific fact, method, argument, and practice. Studying controversies such as the cold fusion controversy offer parapsychologists lessons that can prove to be to their cognitive and social advantage.