ABSTRACT
Ralph Rosnow and Bob Rosenthal began their book People Studying People (1997) with this epigraph to characterize the nature of science. They wanted to convey the notion that, in order to advance, science must have its flaws and weaknesses continually identified and improved on by scientists who never have the benefit of simply “starting over” in the pursuit of knowledge. Therefore, it becomes incumbent on current researchers to pass on what they have learned about these flaws and limitations to future generations. In this light, the career of Ralph Rosnow has exemplified one of being the consummate researcher-a scientist who not only advanced our understanding of psychological phenomena, as other chapters in this book attest, but also one who has sought to improve behavioral research as a scientific endeavor (e.g., see Kimmel, chap. 7, this volume). This chapter focuses on Ralph’s contributions to our understanding of what has become commonly known as the “social psychology of the experiment” (Rosnow, Strohmetz, & Aditya, 2000).
