ABSTRACT
This chapter presents several examples, some from everyday experience and some from published social science research. Most of the examples contain if … then comparisons, whether implied or explicit. If … then rules propose uniform expectations, so that we can use past observations as a guide to the future. We also introduce the idea of “sticky theory.” Sticky theory is a phrase we invented to try to capture the widespread observation that people sometimes hold ideas so strongly they refuse to acknowledge evidence that contradicts them. In science, however, skepticism is a strong norm. Still, humans conduct science; sticky theory creeps in. The main intent of Chapter 1 is to point out the similarities and differences between everyday approaches to learning and social science. The same types of questions arise in both instances, but there are important distinctions between scientific investigation and everyday learning. The social sciences obviously have more resources and more refined methods for answering questions than does any individual, but social science still encounters obstacles to achieving definitive answers.
