Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome
Exploring the early development of an area of medical literature can inform contemporary medical debates. Different methods of inference include deduction, induction, abduction, and inference to the best explanation. I argue that early shaken baby research is best understood as using abduction t...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University Library System, University of Pittsburgh
2023-05-01
|
| Series: | Philosophy of Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://philmed.pitt.edu/philmed/article/view/41 |
| _version_ | 1797829297845567488 |
|---|---|
| author | Nicholas Binney |
| author_facet | Nicholas Binney |
| author_sort | Nicholas Binney |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Exploring the early development of an area of medical literature can inform contemporary medical debates. Different methods of inference include deduction, induction, abduction, and inference to the best explanation. I argue that early shaken baby research is best understood as using abduction to tentatively suggest that infants with unexplained intracranial and ocular bleeding have been assaulted. However, this tentative conclusion was quickly interpreted, by some at least, as a general rule that infants with these pathological signs were certainly cases of abuse. Rather than focusing on inductive arguments, researchers today may be better off focusing on making a compelling inference to the best explanation.
|
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:18:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c89fe1fc763f4aa4a410fc8b8f05c029 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2692-3963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:18:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | University Library System, University of Pittsburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophy of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-c89fe1fc763f4aa4a410fc8b8f05c0292023-05-11T13:35:41ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghPhilosophy of Medicine2692-39632023-05-014110.5195/pom.2023.41Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby SyndromeNicholas Binney0Department of Medical Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam Exploring the early development of an area of medical literature can inform contemporary medical debates. Different methods of inference include deduction, induction, abduction, and inference to the best explanation. I argue that early shaken baby research is best understood as using abduction to tentatively suggest that infants with unexplained intracranial and ocular bleeding have been assaulted. However, this tentative conclusion was quickly interpreted, by some at least, as a general rule that infants with these pathological signs were certainly cases of abuse. Rather than focusing on inductive arguments, researchers today may be better off focusing on making a compelling inference to the best explanation. https://philmed.pitt.edu/philmed/article/view/41InductionAbductionAbusive head traumaNon-accidental head injuryDiagnostic criteria |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas Binney Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome Philosophy of Medicine Induction Abduction Abusive head trauma Non-accidental head injury Diagnostic criteria |
| title | Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome |
| title_full | Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome |
| title_fullStr | Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome |
| title_short | Methods of Inference and Shaken Baby Syndrome |
| title_sort | methods of inference and shaken baby syndrome |
| topic | Induction Abduction Abusive head trauma Non-accidental head injury Diagnostic criteria |
| url | https://philmed.pitt.edu/philmed/article/view/41 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nicholasbinney methodsofinferenceandshakenbabysyndrome |