AGE AND SCIENTIFIC PERFORMANCE
AGE AND SCIENTIFIC PERFORMANCE
复制标题
DOI：
10.1086/226868
复制
发表时间：
1979-01-01
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
COLE, S
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
COLE, S
长期以来，人们认为年龄与科学生产力和创造力呈负相关，这一观点是基于对数据的错误分析。对六个不同领域的学术科学家的数据分析表明，年龄与科学产出的质量和数量都有轻微的曲线关系。这些结果得到了对一群获得博士学位的数学家的分析的支持。是在1974年到1950年之间有没有下降的工作质量所产生的这些数学家，因为他们取得了通过他们的职业生涯。50岁以上的生产力略有下降，这两个现象都可以用科学奖励制度的运作来解释。通过鼓励那些产生最受欢迎的工作的科学家，并劝阻那些产生不受欢迎的工作的科学家，奖励系统可以减少积极发表的科学家数量。那些在整个职业生涯中继续发表文章的人是由他们同龄人中最优秀的成员组成的“残余”。从30岁到40岁，生产力的提高被证明是对高生产力所必需的资源的控制的结果。在本文的最后一部分，我检验了一个假设，即年轻科学家在高度发达或编纂的科学领域比在不太发达的科学领域更容易做出重要发现。数据并不支持这一假设，而是表明，所有六个领域的科学家在获得博士学位后不久做出重要发现的可能性大致相同。's.
The long-standing belief that age is negatively associated with scientific productivity and creativity is shown to be based upon incorrect analysis of data. Analysis of data from a cross-section of academic scientists in six different fields indicates that age has a slight curvilinear relationship with both quality and quantity of scientific output. These results are supported by an analysis of a cohort of mathematicians who received their Ph.D.'s between 1974 and 1950. There was no decline in the quality of work produced by these mathematicians as they progressed through their careers. Both the slight decrease in productivity over the age of 50 are explained by the operation of the scientific reward system. By encouraging those scientists who produce the most favorably received work and discouraging those who produce work that is not favorably received, the reward system works to reduce the number of scientists who are actively publishing. Those who continue to publish throughout their careers are a "residue" composed of the best members of their cohort. Increases in productivity through the thirties and into the forties are shown to be a result of command over the resources necessary to be highly productive. In the last part of the paper I examine the hypothesis that it should be easier for young scientists to make important discoveries in the more highly developed or codified sciences than in the less highly developed ones. The data do not support this hypothesis but, rather, suggest that scientists in all six fields are approximately equally likely to make important discoveries shortly after they receive their Ph.D.'s.