Problematic Research Practices and Inertia in Scientific Psychology: History, Sources, and Recommended Solutions

This book explores the intellectual inertia in scientific psychology regarding problematic beliefs and assumptions in mainstream research practices, despite critical analyses revealing their weaknesses and inappropriateness. It offers penetrating analyses of key areas where mainstream practices need justification or adjustment, such as the misinterpretation of statistical knowledge, the prevalence of a conception of measurement at odds with the natural sciences, the reliance on null hypothesis testing, and the resistance to qualitative methods. The broader chapters examine the systemic disregard for critical analysis of psychology's tenets and the epistemic and ethical problems this has created. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in psychology and the wider behavioral and social sciences.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 132 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The book delves into the persistent intellectual stagnation within scientific psychology concerning its engagement with challenging beliefs and assumptions underlying mainstream research practices, despite numerous critical assessments that expose the weaknesses and, in some cases, the complete inappropriateness of these methods. This paradigmatic inertia poses a significant concern, particularly for a scholarly discipline aspiring to be recognized as a science.

The book provides in-depth examinations of numerous critical areas where mainstream practices necessitate compelling justifications for their continuation or significant adjustments, potentially including their abandonment. These areas of concern encompass the widespread misinterpretation of statistical knowledge, the prevalence of a conception of measurement that diverges from the natural sciences and yet claims to emulate them, the persistent reliance on null hypothesis testing, and the ongoing resistance within psychology to the explicit incorporation of qualitative methods into its methodological repertoire.

Broader-level chapters in the book examine the systemic disregard for critical analysis of the fundamental principles of mainstream psychology, as well as the epistemic and ethical problems that this has created. This exploration offers valuable insights for researchers across psychology and those in the broader behavioral and social sciences who have an interest in or utilize psychological research methods.

Overall, this book serves as a crucial and thought-provoking resource for scholars and practitioners seeking to navigate the complexities of scientific psychology and address the enduring challenges associated with problematic beliefs and assumptions in research practices.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367644871