A decade of theory as reflected in Psychological Science (2009-2019)

Abstract

The dominant belief is that science progresses by testing theories and moving towards theoretical consensus. While it’s implicitly assumed that psychology operates in this manner, critical discussions claim that the field suffers from a lack of cumulative theory. To examine this paradox, we analysed research published in Psychological Science from 2009-2019 (N = 2,225). We found mention of 359 theories in-text, most were referred to only once. Only 53.66% of all manuscripts included the word theory, and only 15.33% explicitly claim to test predictions derived from theories. We interpret this to suggest that most psychological research is not driven by theory, nor can it be contributing to cumulative theory building. These data provide insight into the kinds of research psychologists are conducting and raises questions about the role of theory in the psychological sciences.

A Falsificationist Treatment of Auxiliary Hypotheses in Social and Behavioral Sciences: Systematic Replications Framework

“…Observing this state, Lakatos maintained decades ago that most theorizing in social sciences risks making merely pseudo-scientific progress (1978, p. 88-9, n. 3-4). What further solidifies this problem is that most "hypothesis-tests" do not test any theory and those that do so subject the theory to radically few number of tests (see e.g., McPhetres et. al., 2020).…”

“Some uninteresting data from a faraway country”: Inequity and coloniality in international social psychological publications

“…The problem is not merely that disciplinary systems disincentivize diversity of representation. Disciplinary systems, including incentive structures, also lead to under-specifying and under-theorizing context, and generally impeding psychological (meta)theoretical advancement and impoverishing psychology's ability to connect with others within and beyond the discipline (e.g., Ellemers, 2013;McPhetres et al, 2020;Phaf, 2020). There are also often unintended systemic biases in our discipline's sampling of what its members most often study, read, write, and cite, which can lead to increased fragmentation.…”

Seeking and avoiding contact with Muslims at a Hijab Stall: Evidence for multilayer, multi‐determined solidarity, courage, apathy, and moral outrage

“…As our multilayer-multivariate effort parallels that in other areas of social research (e.g., Ib añez et al, 2009;Ozturk & Berber, 2020;Steel & Taras, 2010), we see it indicative of a growing zeitgeist that emphasizes integrative and holistic approaches to prediction and explanation. These research trends do not deny the value in analyses of small subsets of predictors of a phenomenon (e.g., in controlled experimental settings); but they help us appreciate the merit of moving away from extreme forms of incrementalism in research and over-reliance on micro-models (for a discussion, see McPhetres et al, 2020). Hence, we are of the view that more investigations of this kind, carried out in a variety of settings and with diverse participants, might significantly speed up progress in the understanding of contact seeking/avoidance.…”