Abstract
I make three general points. First, I argue that the conjunction of two important characteristics prevents computer technology from becoming tedious and boring. Second, I discuss the fate of several “postdictions” of what we would have predicted about 1990 computer technology 20 years ago. Third, I discuss the degree to which computer technology drives research rather than the other way around.
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Church, R. M. (1983). The influence of computers on psychological research: A case study.Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation,15, 117–126.
Loftus, G. R. (1985). Johannes Kepler’s computer simulation of the universe: Some remarks about theory in psychology.Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,17, 149–156.
Tepas, D. I. (1991). Computers, psychology, and work: Does the past predict a troubled future for this union?Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,23, 101–105.
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I thank Colin MacLeod for his invaluable help in preparing this talk during the course of a splendid trip from New Orleans to Mobile and back. The writing up of this work was supported by an NIMH grant to G. Loftus.
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Loftus, G.R. Postdictions of 20-year predictions about the state of computer technology in psychology (and one or two other matters). Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 23, 112–113 (1991). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203349
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203349