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(Mis-)interpreting the vagueness of psychological concepts: Reply to Ng and Litson (2026)
1Human-Computer-Media Institute, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Human-Computer-Media Institute, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg.
Abstract:
In our recent article, we argued that psychological concepts are inherently vague and that this vagueness cannot be circumvented. While the commentary by Ng and Litson (2026) raises important issues, it rests on a misinterpretation of our central claim. Here, we clarify our position by distinguishing vagueness from arbitrariness, imprecision, and ambiguity and explain why there is no contradiction between accepting the vagueness of psychological concepts and striving for greater conceptual clarity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
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