Invisible Hands and Fine Calipers: A Call to Use Formal Theory as a Toolkit for Theory Construction

• Published in: Perspectives on psychological science Vol. 16; no. 4; pp. 725 - 743
• Main Authors: Robinaugh, Donald J., Haslbeck, Jonas M. B., Ryan, Oisín, Fried, Eiko I., Waldorp, Lourens J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.07.2021; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Accumulation; Humans; Knowledge; Measurement; Psychological Theory; Psychology - methods; Research Personnel; computational model; mathematical model; formal theory; theory construction

In recent years, a growing chorus of researchers has argued that psychological theory is in a state of crisis: Theories are rarely developed in a way that indicates an accumulation of knowledge. Paul Meehl raised this very concern more than 40 years ago. Yet in the ensuing decades, little has improv...