Categories: Site glossary
A nïave view is that we see (or hear or feel…) what is out there in the world, but much research shows that what we perceive is an interpretation of sensory information (as is seen in optical illusions). In science, as in other contexts, observation is biased by the frame of reference being used to think about the observation – the assumptions that are taken-for-granted by the observer. Such bias may distort interpretations of data. An observer who thinks that a pendulum swings through an arc at a constant rate will likely 'see' just that. Observation is said to be 'theory-laden'.
