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Self-Experimentation

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Handbook of Research Methods in Human Operant Behavior

Part of the book series: Applied Clinical Psychology ((NSSB))

Abstract

By self-experimentation we mean experiments in which the researcher studies him- or herself. We contrast it with conventional research in which the experimenter studies other people or animals This chapter tries to show that self-experiments are useful for gaining knowledge and solving problems, and that self-experimentation and conventional research have complementary strengths.

That you can learn how to do things by doing them has somehow always seemed mysterious to me.

—Kermode (1995, p. 164)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720-1650, USA

    Seth Roberts

  2. Department of Psychology, Reed College, Portland, Oregon, 97202, USA

    Allen Neuringer

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  1. Seth Roberts
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  2. Allen Neuringer
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, 26506-6040, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA

    Kennon A. Lattal  & Michael Perone  & 

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Roberts, S., Neuringer, A. (1998). Self-Experimentation. In: Lattal, K.A., Perone, M. (eds) Handbook of Research Methods in Human Operant Behavior. Applied Clinical Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1947-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-1947-2_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-1949-6

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