Douglas Mark Elliffe is a New Zealand psychology academic, and as of 2021 is a full professor at the University of Auckland.
Academic career
After a PhD titled Multiple-schedule performance in closed economies at the University of Auckland, and joined the staff, rising to full professor.
Conflict
In July 2021, in the context of a review of the NCEA (New Zealand's National Curriculum), Elliffe, along with six other University of Auckland Professors and Emeritus Professors published a letter "In Defence of Science" in the New Zealand Listener,Kendall Clements, Garth Cooper, Michael Corballis, Douglas Elliffe, Robert Nola, Elizabeth Rata, and John Werry.
“In Defence of Science.”
New Zealand Listener, 31 July 2021.
p.4 which drew considerable fire claiming indigenous knowledge (or Mātauranga Māori) "falls far short of what can be defined as science itself."
Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater said the letter "caused considerable hurt and dismay among our staff, students and alumni" and that "Mātauranga Māori as a valuable knowledge system, and that it was not at odds with Western empirical science and did not need to compete."
The TEU, the union which represents academics such as the professors, released a statement saying they "neglected to engage with or mention the many highly accomplished scholars and scientists in Aotearoa who have sought to reconcile notions of science, mātauranga Māori, and Māori in science."
The Royal Society Te Apārangi released a statement saying "The Society strongly upholds the value of mātauranga Māori and rejects the narrow and outmoded definition of science outlined in [the letter]."
The New Zealand Association of Scientists released a statement saying "we were dismayed to see a number of prominent academics publicly questioning the value of mātauranga to science."
The letter writers were supported by opposition MP Paul Goldsmith.
Daniel Hikuroa, also an academic at Auckland, pointed out that Mātauranga Māori like Māramataka (the Māori lunar calendar) "was clearly science."
Tara McAllister said "we did not navigate to Aotearoa on myths and legends.
We did not live successfully in balance with the environment without science.
Māori were the first scientists in Aotearoa."
Tina Ngata wrote that "this letter, in all of its unsolicited glory, is a true testament to how racism is harboured and fostered within New Zealand academia."
An open counter-letter received more than 2000 signatures.
Elliffe resigned from the role of acting dean over his part in the incident.
Selected works
Taylor, Alex H., Douglas Elliffe, Gavin R. Hunt, and Russell D. Gray.
"Complex cognition and behavioural innovation in New Caledonian crows."
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277, no. 1694 (2010): 2637–2643.
Alsop, B. and Elliffe, D., 1988.
Concurrent‐schedule performance: Effects of relative and overall reinforcer rate.
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 49(1), pp.21-36.
Taylor, Alex H., Douglas M. Elliffe, Gavin R. Hunt, Nathan J. Emery, Nicola S. Clayton, and Russell D. Gray.
"New Caledonian crows learn the functional properties of novel tool types."
PloS one 6, no. 12 (2011): e26887.
Elliffe, Douglas, and Brent Alsop.
"Concurrent choice: Effects of overall reinforcer rate and the temporal distribution of reinforcers."
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior 65, no. 2 (1996): 445–463.
Butler, Rynae, Rebecca J. Sargisson, and Douglas Elliffe.
"The efficacy of systematic desensitization for treating the separation-related problem behaviour of domestic dogs."
Applied Animal Behaviour Science 129, no. 2-4 (2011): 136–145.
References
External links
