Statistical structures underlying quantum mechanics and social science

DOI10.1007/S10773-005-7082-8MaRDI QIDQ5920651zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Karl Svozil, Ron Wright

Publication date 28 September 2006

Published in International Journal of Theoretical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0307234

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of statistics to social sciences (62P25) General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05)

Abstract: Common observations of the unpredictability of human behavior and the influence of one question on the answer to another suggest social science experiments are probabilistic and may be mutually incompatible with one another, characteristics attributed to quantum mechanics (as distinguished from classical mechanics). This paper examines this superficial similarity in depth using the Foulis-Randall Operational Statistics language. In contradistinction to physics, social science deals with complex, open systems for which the set of possible experiments is unknowable and outcome interference is a graded phenomenon resulting from the ways the human brain processes information. It is concluded that social science is, in some ways, "less classical" than quantum mechanics, but that generalized "quantum" structures may provide appropriate descriptions of social science experiments. Specific challenges to extending "quantum" structures to social science are identified.

Recommendations

• Statistical structures underlying quantum mechanics and social science
• Statistical Structure of Quantum Theory
• Statistical physics in collective phenomena in the social sciences and economics
• Interpretive analogies between quantum and statistical mechanics
• Quantum approach to description of social statics and social dynamics of Auguste Comte
• Quantum mechanics as applied mathematical statistics
• Statistical origin of quantum mechanics
• Quantum-mechanical statistics and the inclusivist approach to the nature of particulars
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 931507

Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3123490 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3128586 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3009717 (Why is no real title available?)
• Operational Statistics. I. Basic Concepts
• Operational statistics. II. Manuals of operations and their logics
• Realistic quantum probability
• The structure of projection-valued states: A generalization of Wigner's theorem

Cited in

(5)

• Ubiquitous Quantum Structure
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1326928 (Why is no real title available?)
• Quantum approach to description of social statics and social dynamics of Auguste Comte
• Statistical structures underlying quantum mechanics and social science
• Modeling the act of measurement in the social sciences

This page was built for publication: Statistical structures underlying quantum mechanics and social science

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q5920651)