Psychology Community Compiles Guide to Building Robust Theories Following Methods Crisis

A discussion on the social media platform X when it was still Twitter,  initiated by psychologist Ekaterina Damer on August 14, 2018, has sparked widespread conversation among researchers about the foundations of theory building in psychology. Damer’s query seeking accessible introductions to constructing sound psychological theories generated numerous recommendations from established scholars across the discipline, highlighting a growing concern about how theories are developed and validated in the field.

The recommendations span foundational works addressing the philosophical underpinnings of psychological science. Paul Meehl’s “Theory-testing in psychology and physics: A methodological paradox” emerged as a frequently cited reference, with multiple contributors emphasizing its relevance to current discussions. Other landmark papers include Robert Cummins’ examination of psychological explanation and works by Gerd Gigerenzer and Barry Markovsky on theoretical frameworks.

Practical guides for theory development also featured prominently in the responses. Contributors recommended texts such as Jaccard and Jacoby’s “Theory Construction and Model-building Skills” and Chapter 1 of Gawronski and Bodenhausen’s “Theory and explanation in social psychology,” providing actionable strategies for researchers building new frameworks.

The breadth and diversity of recommendations underscore tensions within psychology regarding theoretical standards. Observers note that the emerging theory crisis mirrors ongoing debates surrounding methodological reform, suggesting the field faces substantive questions about how to establish and evaluate scientific claims in psychology.