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Chapter 4 - Streetlight Effects

How Does the Streetlight Influence What We Choose to Study?

from Section 1 - Incentives, Context, and Capital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2023

Mark P. Khurana
Affiliation:
University of Copenhagen
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Summary

One of the many pitfalls in science is that researchers are prone to psychological biases, one of which is the streetlight effect. The streetlight effect is a type of observational bias that occurs because people are more likely to search for something where it is easier to look. We are prone to studying things that are easy to observe, such as by using convenient data or using surrogate markers. In essence, the streetlight effect is embraced due to its low-risk nature. In the long run, however, the streetlight effect can slow the rate of medical progress by leading us in unfruitful directions. In the second part of the chapter, we extend the discussion by interpreting the streetlight in a more literal sense, focusing on how physical capital influences the rate and direction of research. In general, physical capital, such as laboratories and equipment, is a crucial enabler in allowing science to be conducted. It functions as a rate-limiting factor, meaning that without certain equipment or physical resources, some research undertakings are necessarily impossible to complete.

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The Trajectory of Discovery
What Determines the Rate and Direction of Medical Progress?
, pp. 23 - 26
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Streetlight Effects
  • Mark P. Khurana, University of Copenhagen
  • Book: The Trajectory of Discovery
  • Online publication: 06 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009354424.005
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  • Streetlight Effects
  • Mark P. Khurana, University of Copenhagen
  • Book: The Trajectory of Discovery
  • Online publication: 06 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009354424.005
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Streetlight Effects
  • Mark P. Khurana, University of Copenhagen
  • Book: The Trajectory of Discovery
  • Online publication: 06 April 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009354424.005
Available formats
×