Concerns About Theorizing, Relevance, Generalizability, and Methodology Across Two Crises in Social Psychology

2025/01/01 by Daniël Lakens · 1 voice · 4 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology #Applied psychology #Cognitive psychology #Cultural Differences and Values #Developmental psychology #Epistemology #Generalizability theory #Political science #Psychology #Relevance (law) #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Social psychology

paper · pdf · doi:10.5334/irsp.1038

published in International Review of Social Psychology 38(1), 6

openalex publication_date 2025/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

During two crises in social psychology, the first from the 1960s to the end of the 1970s, and the second starting in 2010 and still ongoing, researchers discussed the strength of theories in the field, the societal relevance of research, the generalizability of effects, and problematic methodological and statistical practices. Continuing on the first part of this review, which focused on replicability, I compare similarities in the concerns raised across both crises. I consider which issues have prompted meaningful reforms and which have yet to result in significant progress. Finally, I reflect on the extent that the incentives contributed to these crises and argue that a more coordinated approach to scientific research is needed to prevent these concerns from resurfacing in a future third crisis.

Citations

• Use caution when applying behavioural science to policy
• On the social psychology of the psychological experiment: With particular reference to demand characteristics and their implications.

Cited by

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Discussions

• Most researchers are unaware that the concerns about strength of theories, methodology, and lack of generalizability led to a crisis in the 60's and 70's as well. Nothing changed then, and history is [bsky, 16 points, 2 comments]

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