Steps, Stages, and Structure: Finding Compensatory Order in Scientific Theories
Stage theories are prominent and controversial in science. One possible reason for their appeal is that they provide order and predictability. Participants in Experiment 1 rated stage theories as more orderly and predictable (but less credible) than continuum theories. In Experiments 2-5, we showed...
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Published in | Journal of experimental psychology. General Vol. 142; no. 2; pp. 313 - 318 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
United States
American Psychological Association
01.05.2013
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get more information |
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Summary: | Stage theories are prominent and controversial in science. One possible reason for their appeal is that they provide order and predictability. Participants in Experiment 1 rated stage theories as more orderly and predictable (but less credible) than continuum theories. In Experiments 2-5, we showed that order threats increase the appeal of stage theories of grief (Experiment 2) and moral development (Experiments 4 and 5). Experiment 3 yielded similar results for a stage theory on Alzheimer's disease characterized by predictable decline, suggesting that preference for stage theories is independent of valence. Experiment 4 showed that the effect of threat on theory preference was mediated by the motivated perception of order, and Experiment 5 revealed that it is particularly the fixed order of stages that increases their appeal. (Contains 4 tables and 6 footnotes.) |
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ISSN: | 0096-3445 1939-2222 |
DOI: | 10.1037/a0028716 |