Scientific explanation and ecological validity: a reply to Brooks and Baumeister

There are two different goals a researcher might have in studying behavior of retarded persons. One is to gain a scientific understanding of low intelligence as a subcategory of human intellectual functioning. The other is to develop practical techniques for prediction, control, and remediation of retardation in daily life. Brooks and Baumeister (1977) have confused the two and have advocated methods suitable for practical application to answer questions about the nature of retardation. They have done a disservice to the field in disparaging basic research.