Without more theory, psychology will be a headless rider

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Research Methodology
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• The current research landscape faces a generalizability crisis, questioning the reliability of experimental findings across different contexts.
• Existing proposed solutions, such as Yarkoni's, are critiqued for not addressing the fundamental issue.
• Underappreciation of theoretical frameworks in experimental design is identified as a key contributing factor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critique Yarkoni's proposed solutions to the generalizability crisis.
• To highlight the critical role of theory in experimental research.
• To advocate for the development and integration of theory in scientific practice.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of the generalizability crisis.
• Critique of existing approaches to enhance research generalizability.
• Argument for the primacy of theoretical development in experimental science.

Main Results:

• Yarkoni's solutions are deemed insufficient as they overlook the core problem.
• The crisis stems from a neglect of theory's role in guiding and interpreting experiments.
• Qualitative analysis alone is insufficient to resolve the generalizability issue.

Conclusions:

• The research community must prioritize the development of stronger scientific theories.
• Theoretical insights need to be consistently incorporated into experimental design and practice.
• A paradigm shift towards theory-driven research is necessary to overcome the generalizability crisis.