Two Voices on the Credibility Crisis in Psychology

Abstract

While various shortcomings and flaws in the conduct of research and analysis of results in psychology and other social sciences have been recognized for a long time, recent years have witnessed greater prevalence and wider scope of this criticism. There are also more proposals for improvement. In this article, we focus on selected, key areas of the credibility crisis in psychology. Piotr Wolski discusses those related to the improper understanding and application of significance tests, while Arkadiusz Białek characterizes some of the research practices that undermine the credibility of psychological studies and demonstrates how to counteract them. Although the use of good research practices can improve the reproducibility and replicability of research results, the proposed reform should also encompass the way theories are developed. The discussed proposal for theory development in psychology leads to a series of practical steps. Unlike the hypothetico-deductive model, it starts with the identification and description of the phenomenon. The explanation of the phenomenon formulated through abduction is then formalized in mathematical equations or computer simulations and verified. Adhering to good research practices and proper theory development has the potential to provide psychology with more solid foundations and make it a cumulatively evolving science.