"Hitches" and Science

APPEARING as a series of three articles in the publication Science, a discussion entitled "Psychology and' Scientific Research" has recently created a good deal of interest' among scientists. Written by Albert H. Hastorf, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Dartmouth; Adelbert Ames Jr. '21h, of the Hanover Institute; Hadley Gantril '28, of the Department of Psychology at Princeton, and William H. Ittelson, the series presents a plea in favor of difficulties or "hitches" that occur in the handling of scientific problems, and for true ingenuity in solving them.

In the words of the authors, "Our recurring theme has been that any truly scientific investigation involves much more than the use of an accepted methodology of experimentation Scientific inquiry begins when we meet a 'hitch,'—when we sense the limitations .... of assumptive worlds as we try to act effectively. We must get across the notion that hitches are not obstacles to be avoided, but, on the other hand, challenges which alone make productive research possible."