Instant Experts & False Authorities are such remarkable people: "They get so great a return of conclusion from the most trifling input of fact" (with thanks to Mark Twain).

[The term, "False Authority" has been around for eons, in one form or another. However, the term 'False Authority Syndrome' was probably coined by Rob Rosenberger, a genuine authority on computer viruses. Mr Rosenberger first used the term "False Authority Syndrome" in his paper on Computer Virus Myths that appeared in the Janet Endrijonas 1995 book on "Data Security" (see reference list, bottom). Send us the complete APA-style reference that includes the exact term in a book or journal article published prior to 1995 and since 1950; if we use it you get $50!]

        However, let's be totally fair in our attribution efforts: "false authority" sounds very similar to "false prophet." A false prophet was also one who was dishonest, unreliable, and invalid in much of what he said. In fact, consider these terms and their biblical reference: (a) false prophets (Matthew 7:13-23); (b) false teachers (e.g., 2nd Peter 2:1-22); and (c) false apostles (viz., 2nd Corinthians 11:12-13). The term false authority probably thus pre-dates most of us!

At any rate, this is the one -- perhaps the only -- website that directly and honestly addresses the silent conspiracy of ignorance. Here is where research and proof replace fiction and dogma; where science resolutely replaces myth; where truth and fact replace fraud and fantasy.

False Authorities are adept at employing 15 major Fallacy Tactics. They use these deceptive forms of argument to deceive unsuspecting listeners into believing statements clear-thinking adults otherwise would resist. Vist this page, learn the Fallacy Arguments, print out the Checklist included on that page, and be wise to the devious arguments of False Authorities (click here).

The specific focus of this website is the False Authority Kurriculum. FAKe is a Kurriculum that is bookless, silent, informal -- seemingly clandestine. Silently and gradually this invidious bookless kurriculum assaults uncaring or undisciplined minds with a relentless onslaught of pseudo-knowledge.

Terms Defined on this webpage

Several terms are used on this page in conjunction with the discussion of the False Authority Curriculum; those terms include: Genuine Authority, False Authority, Instant Expert, Pseudo-Knowledge, FAKe, Functional Fixity, Hammerhead Thinking, Misplaced Precision, Functional Paranoia, The Falsie. Each term is defined and explained below. Enjoy the information and have a fine day.

The False Authority Thesis

Assumed knowledge undetected is preferable to knowledge acquired and detected.

For the intellectually lazy, it is far easier and thus preferable to assume that something is true; the key is not to let others detect or find out that you really have not a clue what you're talking about.

What people recognize they don't know can be used to persuade them to act in the interest of what others know not to be true.

The False Authority Premise

"What is needed in education is more attention to subject matter." -- John Dewey, 1940

The syllogism:

     The rate of information onslaught is unmanageable -- for everyone.

     Since everyone knows little, a few can pretend to know lots.

     Therefore, a few liars spreading pseudo-knowledge (knowledge assumed rather than learned) can convince a lot of truthful believers that wrong is right, rhetoric is research, opinion is fact, false choice is decision-making.

Exposing the False Authority, the Instant Expert

"One thing worse than ignorance is false information."

It is rather easy to identify a False Authority, the Instant Expert....

A Genuine Authority knows what (s)she is talking about and is prepared to document it through supportive research, and/or confirmed history of relevant experience, and/or fallacy-free logic.

The False Authority is a "generalize fake"; the falsie does not know what (s)he is talking about and thus relies on fallacy arguments to make an untrue point.

The Instant Expert is a "context-specific fake;" this falsie also is unable to document what (s)he is "on about," and thus also relies on deceitful fallacy reasoning to persuade others to accept illogical, untrue arguments.

The definitions and descriptions of Genuine vs False Authorities are expanded upon elsewhere on this page....

(Goto Definitions now     Goto Checklist now)

      The checklist immediately preceding the specialized Biblio-Reference list below offers a host of suggestions for revealing the False Authority.

Honest Mistakes

Content is everything!

"This Genuine vs False Authority dichotomy seems unduly harsh! Can anyone make a mistake and still escape the falsie label?" Yes indeed (and of course!).

Genuine Authorities make their share of mistakes when speaking. However, they are quick to correct the mistake or reveal they may be wrong. On the other hand, the False Authority is never wrong (see discussion below).

Genuine Authorities know their limits. No one is a "full bottle" in all areas; genuine authorities are quick to point out that they are expert only in a given area (or two). False authorities will bluff you to death!

Genuine Authorities have memory lapses, realize it, and reveal to their audience that a piece of information may be in error or should be checked. The False Authority assumes you will never discover the fallacies used to cover errors.

Genuine Authorities know their limits and are quick to define them. Falsies don't. Speak with a genuine authority and you will hear specifics within a context of understatement. Listen to a falsie and you will be bombarded with generalities or with specific false statements or both.

A quick and easy way to unmask a False Authority/Instant Expert: Just ask a rather sophisticated question the answer to which you absolutely know for certain and can thus document in the research literature. A Genuine Authority will reply either with the correct answer or, "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" (or words to that effect). A False Authority/Instant Expert will babble on with an air of certainty; of course, the only certainty is that the answer is incorrect.

(Goto Genuine Authority section now)

The False Authority "Kurriculum" (FAKe)

Scholarship is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration; ignorance, the reverse.

     The False Authority Kurriculum is a set of popular opinions, personal beliefs, politically correct attitudes, and arbitrary views that reflect deep bias and blatant prejudice. FAKe is bookless, silent, informal -- seemingly clandestine. The FAKe content is quietly passed along over a period of years by word of mouth or popular media. 'Groupie' school meetings fueled by peer group pressure; surreptitious cults and private one-purpose organizations; home-based propaganda; Internet websites -- all propagate and endeavor to perpetuate personal belief and unproven assertions as unquestioned, unquestionable "fact."
      Students susceptible to FAKe agendas are those unwilling to accept fundamental truth, unwilling to understand basic everyday logic, unwilling to read and analyze established literature. For these pseudo-thinkers, it is far easier to "be into what isn't" -- blindly believing whatever peer leaders or zealots or mystics mindlessly decree, regardless of proof, logic, or common sense.
      Examples of this pseudo-knowledge? (a) Severely retarded and gifted students can learn "better" in the same classroom. (b) Proper diet cures retardation. (c) "I'm not wrong, I've been wronged." Worshipers of the False Authority Kurriculum find ready acceptance of most any dogma as preferable to the rigors of learning, the pursuit of proof, the challenge of science.

The Pseudo-Knowledge

False Authorities/Instant Experts preside over an ever-growing "Know nothing, No everything" club stupefied by the enticing narcotic of ignorance.

As the year 2000 comes and goes, consider these additional samples of pseudo-knowledge that too many people actually believe -- due primarily if not exclusively to the content of FAKe. Without research, any answer becomes preferable to no answer at all. (1) Good grades in school are an unearned right to be accorded, not an earned privilege to be awarded. (2) There should be social promotion in schools: "So I failed! You better pass me on from grade to grade or I'll scream discrimination." (3) Studying is way uncool. (4) To fail at anything, at any time regardless of reason is to be "disadvantaged," "victimized," "wronged by the system." (5) Men "must have sex;" otherwise, the sperm buildup will in some way harm the body. (6) There is nothing "wrong" with one minority group or another having its own legal, medical, arts, or other professional or social group, their own beauty pageants, or whatever -- as long as it's MY group and not yours! (7) PMS absolves women who run amok. (8) There is nothing "wrong" with giving birth to 6 or 8 (or 10?) babies --- over a matter of hours or years. (9) It's "cool" not to spell, write, and speak correctly. (10) Bad grammar and worse social skills are a "badge of honor." (11) Not telling the truth is not the same as lying. (12) Being "right" means not getting caught in a lie. (13) It's ok to ignore rape, incest, robbery, theft, lies, or assaults if "it ain't got nuddin' to do with me, babe." (14) It is perfectly logical to call an athletic conference with 11 teams, "The Big Ten." (15) It is ok that a student knows how to play well the most violent video games but not know where his country or state is located on a map (assuming he/she knows what a map is). (16) It's ok for females to engage willingly in sex the night before and then cry date rape the morning after. (17) Correctly diagnosed autistic children "recover." Heck, even correctly diagnosed autistic individuals graduate from universities, become published authors, and conduct erudite seminars! (18) Physical abuse is abhorrent; verbal abuse is not. (19) Placing mentally retarded students and gifted students in the same classroom will help both learn "better." (20) Listening to athletic stars repeat the same "110%" interview lines game after game is worth anyone's while. (21) Current age-mates are responsible for what happened to ancestors 200 and more years ago. (22) Earth-bound homo sapiens are the top of the line in intelligence. (23) Spending all day in church atones for murder and mayhem the night before. (24) Only "my" minority group has been wronged. (25) Dignity doesn't count: Do anything for a buck. Anything. (26) Sexual activity is worth the risk; raising the baby isn't a relevant issue. (27) IEPs are appropriate for IQs below 100, but not for IQs above "normal." (28) AIDS was purposely created by one group to wipe out another. (29) Teachers, rather than naturally occurring events, are responsible for any growth and development of severely mentally retarded individuals. (30) The unwritten public school curriculum for the severely handicapped is other than "be calm, be quiet, be docile, behave." (31) It's ok to dress like a grub and talk like a raving maniac and then cry racism and discrimination when jobs don't come a-callin'. (32) Self-interest is not the prime motivator of change. (33) Giving young kids virtually unlimited free choice properly prepares them for adulthood. (34) Latch-key kids cope just fine. (35) When you cannot attack the facts, attack the logic. If both fail, attack and intimidate the person into silence -- regardless of cost or consequence. (36) Obsession with sports over books before age 18 ensures lifelong success and happiness after age 30. (37) It takes a "real" male to "diss" females publicly. (38) It is female to sell trusted knowledge of mates for any gain possible. (39) Given the staggering yearly increase in new knowledge and information, it makes perfect sense that teachers and professors never undergo re-evaluation, re-training, re-certification, re-tenure. (40) The best way to build one's self up is to cut others down. (41) Ensuring access to counselors the moment anything untoward occurs defines self-reliance and emotional maturity. (42) Pseudo-language terms -- like deceased, took-it-to-another-level, passed on, aged 26, differently abled, mentally challenged, 110% effort, came-to-play, worthy opponent, this-or-that "challenged," verticality, police action -- make a huge difference in the quality of life on war-ravaged, famine-engulfed, terrorist-maurading, natural disaster-ridden, resource-waning Earth! (43) Any test not created by the group tested is biased, prejudice, unfair, discriminatory, and should be subject to lawsuits. (44) Promise lots, deliver little is a worthy value. (45) Facilitated Communication "works," despite staggering evidence to the contrary. (46) Severely handicapped students washing windows and moping stairways all day, week after week after week during class time is what job preparation is all about. (47) Immunization programs are a government conspiracy. (48) Non-Microsoft software will crash Windows98. (49) Masters and Doctoral students hiring others to review the research literature, conduct their research, analyze their results, and write their reports is what "higher learning" is all about. (50) There are no "proven" race-based, age-related, or sex-linked differences. (51) Politicians and bureaucrats know best. (52) Taking such courses as music appreciation and golf at a university of "higher learning" in order to maintain eligibility to play football is indeed the essence of "scholarship." (53) "All documents [which an Internet search engine just retrieved] have a [probability of being what the user is looking for] score of 100. For better results, try to provide more search criteria" (quoted from www.hotbot.com, after searching 'warez') -- this logical absurdity nonetheless makes absolute common sense. (54) "Doing your best" on behalf of anyone but yourself is just plain stupid. (55) The Holocaust didn't happen. (56) Giving a graduate student a 'B' on a final exam with the comment, "next time answer the question," is fair and equitable preparation for the competitive world. (57) "Ethnic cleansing" is acceptable social policy for any country. (58) "Me first, me only, you lose" -- yes, the way life should be lived. (59) The best way to save face is to keep the lower half open. (60) Showboating in sports is fine preparation for life in the real world. It's not only what Instant Experts know that's false that promotes ignorance .... it's also what Instant Experts know that's not true. The False Authority/The Instant Expert Falsies make decisions in spite of rather than in light of fact. Knowledge is not forbidden. It is not forgotten. It is foregone by Instant Experts.... The False Authority Kurriculum breeds Instant Experts. The Instant Expert accepts and promotes opinion and assumption neither scientifically based nor empirically proven. The Instant Expert extols rhetoric over research, dogma over data. They are easily identified -- they are "the rightful few."       The False Kurriculum may be silent, but its Instant Experts are not: They are loud, opinionated, arbitrary, and unbending in asserting their personal beliefs as unchallengeable fact. Vagueness, feigned indignation, well-time interruptions, and loud, fast-paced speech characterize the Instant Expert. They mean what they say but don't seem to know what they mean. Ironically, "I don't know" is not part of the vocabulary, practice, or armamentarium of the Instant Expert.      Instant Experts seek any forum.These pseudo-knowledge experts slam-dunk their views at any opportunity. Paid consultants believe they must provide answers, regardless of the question. Year2000 Millennium Bug 'experts' garner great audience with 'chicken little the sky is falling' themes. The newsreader, the Sunday morning TV moderator, the cable network "shock jock," the underachieving plagiarist, the obscure one-theme politician, vapid public servants, the untenured university lecturer -- all are eager to be heard. All are instantly expert at explaining a just-concluded speech, interpreting the stock market the day after, or evaluating the issue--any issue-- of the day to the rest of us.      Instant Experts shout down opponents at town meetings, at school assemblies, at union meetings -- indeed, at most any gathering, including some daytime TV theme-based chatter hours. More often than necessary, they offer insult rather than insight. If asked to document a position, Instant Experts can almost be heard to mutter: "Excuse me. You must have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn about your facts, logic, or position."      Instant Experts crave attention. They prop themselves up against the wine bar or lecture podium at a conference or convention, awaiting recognition by peers or proteges. They host hotel room parties and invite those they want to impress or who they think will be impressed. They ensure they are paged over the public address system at strategic times during business lunches, meetings, or conferences. They attach their names to published works of hard-working students, oftentimes making it clear to the naive graduate intern that the names of certain colleagues also should appear on the upcoming publication.      The key point, however, is that Instant Experts in some cases indeed are knowledgeable on a narrow subject. In nearly all cases, however, they reach far beyond their recognized area of competence to issue dictums and soliloquies on matters on which they know little but assume lots. Again, "I don't know" never leaves the lips of the Instant Expert. Functional Fixity Tell enough people the same lie enough times and in time some will believe it! False Authorities/Instant Experts exhibit the learning handicap called Functional Fixity. Functional Fixity is characterized by inflexible thinking unmoved by logic, fact,or research. The False Authority Kurriculum breeds Instant Experts who lock onto one idea, belief, position, or dogma they seldom relinguish, relax, or relent. Zeal rather than truth or fact is held dear. Myth and circumstance replace research and rigor. Unopen to and unaccepting of alternative views or ways of thinking, the Functionally Fixated Instant Expert reflects what is aptly called Hammerhead Thinking. Hammerhead Thinking Wrong? Doubtful. In doubt, never! Hammerheads see life as a hammer: "If all one has is a hammer, everything becomes a nail." Paul Simon's "The Boxer" lyric was right: "(Hammerheads) believe what they want to believe and disregard the rest." Hammerheads care little about fact and care even less about accuracy. Their justification is the outrage of their position or the degree of attention they can muster -- regardless of truth, logic, or consequence. Intransigence is key. The aging university professor, TV-shock jock, news 'commentator', union rep, fortune teller, public servant, paid consultant, psychic, one-theme politician, and Millennium Bug 'experts' all may be wrong, but none is ever in doubt. Hence, each hammers away on the same theme for nearly all audiences nearly all the time. Misplaced Precision ...on being into what isn't. Misplaced Precision is defined as "Being into what isn't." It is the sum total outcome of pseudo-knowledge. The result of Misplaced Precision is the kind of thinking characterized by the more than 50 examples cited earlier. The Functionally Fixated Hammerhead Thinker "may be wrong, but never in doubt." Opinion, not proof, counts. Hearsay, not history is cherished. Commentary and not competence is heralded. Rhetoric rather than research is practiced by the Instant Expert beset by Misplaced Precision. Functional Paranoia “Whoso neglects learning in his youth, loses the past and is dead for the future.” -- Euripides Functional Paranoia is a heightened state of awareness in which a Genuine Authority receives verbal input with skepticism until proven by fallacy-free logic or published research. Who is a Falsie? Remember, the falsie is a junkie -- believing in Junk Science (click, for examples): Junk Science is the act or practice of exaggerating, ignoring, misrepresenting, or overinterpreting credible research-based results. So how do you spot a falsie? How do you know you are being "talked at" by a False Authority, an Instant Expert? It's easy: Just listen carefully. If in doubt, ask but one probing question the answer to which you know for certain. Then you'll know....       Falsies: Definition       Almost without exception, Falsies -- students or graduates of FAKe -- fall into one of two groups: (1) Context-specific Falsie -- The Instant Expert: The individual who always "has a better idea" for the moment.... Are you initiating, in the midst of, or completing a task or job? At any point along the way the C-Falsie will offer advice, always unsolicited. Are you building, repairing, changing anything? Are you having problems with your car? Are the kids giving you strife? If so, C-Falsie will want you to "try a better way" -- his way! The C-Falsie will be persistent, proving time and time again that "too many cooks spoil the broth" -- and the C-Falsie is always 'the-one-cook-too-many'! (2) Generalized Falsie -- The False Authority: The G-Falsie, the one who absolutely must "put in her two cents." She always has an opinion on any topic, during every discussion, for every issue or circumstance. Daily news, current events, world affairs, economics, nuclear physics, C++ programming, Durkheim's suicide or Dante's Inferno .... makes no difference. She has an opinion and will have her say. Butting in where unwanted is her raison d'etre . (Go back)       Some hints that a Falsie is in your midst... *The falsie will never say, "I don't know." Falsies always have the answers. Always. *The falsie is never -- never -- at fault. The finger always points away from the mirror. "Why didn't you tell me?" OR "YOU made me do it!" are two classic cries of the falsie. *The falsie absolutely always wants it his/her way. Nothing else is good enough, nor right. *The falsie clings to one view, one position, one argument, one answer -- regardless of even overwhelming evidence to the contrary. *The falsie offers a "false choice" -- (S)he will offer you two choice, neither of which you agree with and neither of which seems to you to be reasonable, logical, or fair. *The falsie fetishly relies on Consensus Logic: "most agree that..."; "everyone knows that...". *The falsie swims (drowns?) in euphemisms: "encouragement incentives" (not a bribe! -- Olympics scandal); sex vs oral sex! (Clinton scandal) *The falsie absolutely never answers a direct question directly, unless the falsie asked it. *The falsie is quick to cry foul at the slightest slight: When all else has failed logically and again regardless of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the falsie inevitably shouts "racism," "discrimination," "I've been victimized," "I've been disadvantaged," "I've been wrong," "it is their fault I failed." *The falsie never quotes published research; if the falsie deigns to quote other than himself/herself, quoted will be dogma, poseurs, dilettantes, charlatans, zealots, cult figures, and other truth-pretenders. *The falsie inevitably is eager to expound far beyond his/her achieved or ascribed limits of competence. *The falsie fights for undeserved credit for himself, fights harder against offering credit to deserving others. *The falsie is quick to talk, slow to listen, unable to accept alternative explanations. *The falsie is eager to tear down, eager to find fault, loathe to build up or praise. *The falsie will -- no, must -- be heard at any anti-this or anti-that gathering. *The falsie will always excuse/rationalize shoddy grammar, incorrect spelling, poor speech. *The falsie will almost always say, "That's too much to read." Or, "Why should I read that?" *The falsie repeatedly "borrows" the major work and/or works of others -- without attribution. *The falsie is quick to climb onto most any bandwagon, staggeringly reluctant to get off! *The falsie is obsessively driven by value judgments -- "you should," "you ought," "you must." *(The list continues...) In sum, the falsie buys and sells "Fool's Gold" -- False rhetoric, myth, dogma, opinion are "gold;" anyone believing in such gold is a falsie's pet fool.     Which groups seem to attract falsies galore? (1) Radio/TV "shock-jocks." (2) TV "commentators," "analysts," "anchors." (3) Newly anointed PhDs. (4) Those who recently purchased their first computer. (5) Aging university professors. (6)Religious zealots. (7) One-theme political aspirants. (8) Weather forecasters. (9) Stock market analysts. (10) Public school administrators. (11) Secretaries. (12) Leading sports figures. (13) Prison inmates. (14) Fortunetellers, Mystics, Clairvoyants, Soothsayers, Faith-healers. (15) Many members of any group relegated to minority status relevant to the issue at hand. (16) Absolutely anyone associated with "social promotion." (Go back/up top) Who are the Genuine Authorities? How do you know? A continuous life struggle is between those who want something for nothing and those who resist. Genuine Authorities "acquire their competence the old-fashion way: They earn it."     False Authorities acquire their "competence" the new-age way: They assume it. Falsies want lots for nothing. So, who are the Genuine Authorities? *Every single author listed in Biblio-Refs. *Anyone admitting from time to time, "I don't know." *Practically anyone who from time to time says something like, "Sorry, I blew it." Or, "Wrong!". Or, "Oops, I'm wrong." OR, "Hmmm, let me check that statement." *Those who do not resort to Fallacy Tactics (click). *Most tenured professors at a top 10 University in their curriculum field in their country. *Most lawyers in well-known firms that devote a portion of their work to pro bono cases. *Most authors of widely-used textbooks and/or multiple published articles. *Most grandparents. *Most medical doctors affiliated with well-known institutes, universities, hospitals. *Most adults whose mind is as open as their home or office door. *Most anyone verbally attacked publicly by a False Authority/Instant Expert! *(The list: to be continued...) (Go back/up top) You are probably being duped by a Pseudo-thinking False Authority IF... "The only thing worse than ignorance is false information." *If the rhetoric is overbearing and is ex post facto and/or without predictive validity. *If (s)he (over)generalizes beyond himself: "My experience is....therefore, you should...." *If (s)he talks quickly, speaks loudly or shouts, talks without pausing to reflect or think at most points, interrupts dissent, is eager to insult personally in public, refuses to answer questions .... *If you never, ever hear him/her say, "I don't know." *If (s)he babbles on when only in a group or looks around the group for support and affirmation. *If (s)he nearly always offers one or more "instant expert" explanations for even the most rhetorical, unintentional, or offhanded query or comment.         Examples: (a) You observe, "Strange the way he acted....". The False Authority replies, "He was struggling to cope with.....". (b) Thinking aloud, you say, "Hmmm, wonder why she did that?" The Instant Expert immediately has the answer: "Obviously, she was....". (c) You note that the weather has certainly turned nasty. The Sudden-Weather-Expert babbles on about whatever with an instant answer! Again, whatever the question, the circumstance, the event, the False Authority/ Instant Expert has a ready reply, a surefire answer -- right or wrong!         Nearly all stock market analysts and mystics/palm readers/clairvoyants are absolute classic False Authorities. Listen closely to them to "appreciate" how little can be said with so many words that are correct only for yesterday! *If (s)he repeatedly insists that -- "you should," "you ought," "you must." Biblio-Refs ....knowledge provides insight, belief offers comfort. Is life meant to be comfortable or insightful? Biblio-Refs leads the fight against Falsies. Biblio-Refs attacks, through top-level research findings in 50 curriculum areas, mindless Hammerhead Thinking, the ignorance of False Authority and the logical absurdity of Functional Fixity. Indeed, the target of Biblio-Refs is the False Authority, the Instant Expert, and the Pseudo-Knowledge that the False Kurriculum breeds. In sum, the challenge addressed at this website is to replace fiction with fact, fantasy with research, myth with science. Otherwise, the process, practice, and pursuit of knowledge acquisition may well become little more than a fanciful "remember when" conversation. References "We have enough youth. What about a Fountain of Smarts!" Each of the references listed below is well-worth very close reading. Baer, D.M. (1977). Perhaps it would be better not to know everything. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 10, 167-172. Baer, D.M. (1981). A hung jury and a Scottish verdict: "Not proven". Analysis and Intervention in Developmental Disabilities, 1, 91-97. Baer, D.M. (1984). We already have multiple jeopardy; why try for unending jeopardy? In W.L. Heward, T.E. Heron, D.S. Hill, & J. Trapp-Porter (Eds.), Focus on behavior analysis in education (pp. 296-299). Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill. Baer, D.M. (1986). For want of a nail.... The Behavior Analyst, 9, 197-198. Baldwin, J.F. (Ed.). (1996). Fuzzy logic. New York: Wiley. Berger, P.L., & Luckman, T. (1966). The social reconstruction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. New York: Doubleday. Boren, J.H. (1972). When in doubt, mumble. New York: Van Nostrand. Campbell, D.T., & Stanley, J.C. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research on teaching. In N.L. Gage (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Teaching (pp. 171-246). Chicago: Rand McNally. (Also published in 1966 as Experimental and Quasi-experimental designs for research. Chicago: Rand McNally.) Dawes, R.M. (1988). Rational choice in an uncertain world. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Endrijonas, J., & LaBadie, H. (1995). Data Security: How to bulletproof your hardware and software. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing. Glazer, H.I., & Weiss, J.M. (1976). Long-term and transitory interference effect: An alternative to learned helplessness. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes, 2, 191-201. Graham, I.J., & Jones, P.L. (1988). Expert systems: Knowledge, uncertainty and decision. New York: Chapman & Hall. Hackenberg, T.D. (1993). Commonsense and conventional wisdom. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 60, 457-460. Hardin, G. (1968). The tragedy of the commons. Science, 162, 1243-1248. Kihlstrom, J.F. (1984). A fact is a fact is a fact. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 7, 243-244. Levine, D.S. (1992). Common sense and common nonsense. New York: Oxford University Press. Loewenstein, G. (1994). The psychology of curiosity: A review and reinterpretation. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 75-98. Loftus, E.F. & Klinger, M.R. (1992). Is the unconscious smart or dumb? American Psychologist, 47, 761-765. Macedo, D.P. (1993). Literacy for stupidification: The pedagogy of big lies. Harvard Educational Review, 63, 183-206. McNeill, D., & Forefinger, P. (1993). Fuzzy logic. New York: Simon & Schuster. Platt, J.R. (1964). Strong inference. Science, 146, 1-7. Russell, B. (1959). Wisdom of the west. London: Rathbone Books. Schattschneider, E.E. (1960). The semi-sovereign people: A realist's view of American democracy. New York: Halt, Rinehart and Winston. Sidman, M. (1960). Tactics of scientific research: Evaluating experimental data in psychology. New York: Basic Books. Silberberg, N.E., & Silberberg, M.C. (1969). The bookless curriculum: An educational alternative. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 2, 307-307. Skarda, C., & Freeman, W.J. (1987). How brains make chaos in order to make sense of the world. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 10, 161-173. Snyder, M. (1983). Seek and ye shall find: Testing hypotheses about other people. In E. Higgins, C. Herman, & M. Hanna (Eds.), Social cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Szasz, T.S. (1961). The myth of mental illness. New York: Dell Publishing. Szasz, T.S. (1970). The manufacture of madness. New York: Dell Publishing. Tuchman, B. (1984). The march of folly. New York: Knopf. Tuke, D.H. (1894). Imperative ideas. Brain, 17, 179-197. Tversky, A., & Kahneman, D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science, 185, 1124-1131. Viggiano, J. (1981). Ignorance as handicap. Asha, 23, 551-552. Reminder: Please consider downloading Biblio-Refs -- THE practical Assistant.

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