method of residues

the fourth of the five canons of empirical science laid down by John Stuart Mill. It is meant to establish sufficient conditions for a phenomenon through the elimination of alternative potential causes on the basis of previous experiments or already known laws. For example, if the phenomena E1 and E2 occur together having antecedents C1 and C2, and if it is known by prior research or established law that C1 cannot cause E2 but causes E1, one may conclude that C2 is the cause of E2. Also called residue method.

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

Alström–Hallgren syndrome

a familial disorder that is characterized by obesity, deafness, visual disorders, and diabetes and occasionally associated with mental disorders. [Carl-Henry Alström (1907–1993), Swedish physician; Bertil Hallgren, 20th-century Swedish geneticist]