The five pillars, disunity, and crisis: Commentary on Bernstein and Frantz (2026)

Bernstein and Frantz (2026) provide a valuable review of past and present attempts to evaluate and reform the introductory psychology course. Using the Introductory Psychology Initiative five pillar model, they offer ways to make the course more meaningful. I argue that both the five pillar model and the recommendations of Bernstein and Frantz leave two persistent issues unaddressed: the disunity of the discipline and the crisis of replication. Both have important implications for the teaching of introductory psychology. I suggest the need for critical-historical perspectives to provide a more complete picture of psychology, even at the introductory level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).