Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Regression Toward the Mean01:52

Regression Toward the Mean

Regression toward the mean (“RTM”) is a phenomenon in which extremely high or low values—for example, and individual’s blood pressure at a particular moment—appear closer to a group’s average upon remeasuring. Although this statistical peculiarity is the result of random error and chance, it has been problematic across various medical, scientific, financial and psychological applications. In particular, RTM, if not taken into account, can interfere when researchers try to extrapolate results...
Defining Psychology01:24

Defining Psychology

Psychology is the scientific discipline dedicated to understanding both observable behavior and the internal mental processes underlying such behavior. It aims to comprehend human nature and apply this understanding to solve practical problems, enhance well-being, and improve societal outcomes. An example of psychology's application is the study of prosocial behavior, such as why and under what conditions individuals might help strangers in need. This process involves describing observed...
Psychology as a Science01:13

Psychology as a Science

Psychology, as a scientific discipline, aims to understand the mind and behavior through rigorous and systematic methods. The foundation of psychological research is evidence-based, relying heavily on the scientific method to derive and validate knowledge. This structured approach ensures that findings are reliable, valid, and applicable to broader contexts.
The scientific method in psychology involves six critical steps: making observations, formulating hypotheses, conducting tests, analyzing...
Cognitivism01:17

Cognitivism

Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process information is...
Contemporary Psychology01:29

Contemporary Psychology

Psychology explores human behavior and mental processes through various lenses, each offering unique insights. This overview examines key subfields, including biopsychology, evolutionary, developmental, personality, and social psychology, highlighting their approaches and contributions to understanding complex human behaviors.
Biopsychology
Biopsychology, also known as biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience, focuses on the biological underpinnings of behavior and mental processes. It...
Scientific Nature of Social Psychology01:30

Scientific Nature of Social Psychology

Social psychology is a scientific discipline dedicated to understanding how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts. Unlike common sense, which relies on anecdotal experiences and intuition, social psychology employs systematic research and empirical methods to ensure objectivity and reliability. This distinction is fundamental in distinguishing scientifically supported findings from mere speculation.Four fundamental scientific values guide a structured approach to research in...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Effects of exercise on depression and anxiety in university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Frontiers in sports and active living·2026
Same author

Reporting of exercise interventions in spondyloarthritis research: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

BMJ open sport & exercise medicine·2026
Same author

[How robust is the evidence base for the guidelines on psychotic disorders?].

Tidsskrift for den Norske laegeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny raekke·2026
Same author

Editorial: Critical debates on quantitative psychology and measurement: Revived and novel perspectives on fundamental problems.

Frontiers in psychology·2025
Same author

AI-Augmented Content Validation in Behavioral Research: Development and Evaluation of the RATER System.

MIS quarterly : management information systems·2025
Same author

Effects of Remote Patient Monitoring on Health Care Utilization in Patients With Noncommunicable Diseases: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

JMIR mHealth and uHealth·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding
06:33

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding

Published on: October 11, 2018

6.9K

Is psychological science progressing? Explained variance in PsycINFO articles during the period 1956 to 2022.

Geir Smedslund1,2, Jan Ketil Arnulf3, Jan Smedslund4

  • 1Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.

Frontiers in Psychology
|January 9, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Psychological science consistently explains 42.8% of variance, a finding potentially driven by methodological and semantic constraints. This suggests theoretical progress may require transcending current research paradigms.

Keywords:
contextempirical/a prioriexplained variancescientific progresssemantics

More Related Videos

Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI
06:26

Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI

Published on: November 27, 2019

72.2K
Author Spotlight: Validation of SICOLE-R for Assessing Cognitive and Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children and Its Role in Personalized Education
09:00

Author Spotlight: Validation of SICOLE-R for Assessing Cognitive and Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children and Its Role in Personalized Education

Published on: August 16, 2024

845

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding
06:33

Decomposing the Variance in Reading Comprehension to Reveal the Unique and Common Effects of Language and Decoding

Published on: October 11, 2018

6.9K
Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI
06:26

Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI

Published on: November 27, 2019

72.2K
Author Spotlight: Validation of SICOLE-R for Assessing Cognitive and Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children and Its Role in Personalized Education
09:00

Author Spotlight: Validation of SICOLE-R for Assessing Cognitive and Reading Skills in Spanish-Speaking Children and Its Role in Personalized Education

Published on: August 16, 2024

845

Area of Science:

  • Psychological Science
  • Quantitative Psychology

Background:

  • Modern psychological science has shown a consistent average explained variance of 42.8% across studies from 1956 to 2022.
  • This stagnation in explained variance may be linked to methodological conventions and the semantic properties of psychological variables.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To numerically assess the progress of psychological science by analyzing explained variance.
  • To investigate the role of methodological conventions and semantic properties in limiting explained variance.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1565 articles published between 1956 and 2022 to determine average explained variance.
  • Latent semantic analysis (LSA) applied to 50 studies to replicate semantic factor structures of 205 constructs.

Main Results:

  • Average explained variance remained constant at 42.8% over the study period.
  • Methodological conventions appear to impose mathematical constraints, clustering explained variance around 40%.
  • Hypotheses with high or low semantic truth values are unlikely to be studied, favoring those around 40% truth value.

Conclusions:

  • The consistent explained variance suggests findings might be predictable from semantic structures alone, potentially without empirical data collection.
  • Psychology's shift from individual, causal methods to group-level associations may stem from the complexity and dynamic nature of psychological processes.
  • Current research paradigms may inherently limit theoretical progress, necessitating a move beyond the 40% explained variance barrier.