Falsificationism is not just 'potential' falsifiability, but requires 'actual' falsification: Social psychology, critical rationalism, and progress in science. (27th January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Holtz, Peter; Monnerjahn, Peter
• Is Part Of: Journal for the theory of social behaviour. Volume 47:Number 3(2017:Sep.)
• Page Start: 348
• Page End: 362
• Publication Date: 2017-01-27
• Subjects: Crisis of confidence -- Critical rationalism -- Epistemology -- Philosophy of science; Psychology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Social psychology -- Periodicals; 301.105
• DOI: 10.1111/jtsb.12134
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8308

Abstract

Abstract: Based on an analysis of ten popular introductions to social psychology, we will show that Karl Popper's philosophy of 'critical rationalism' so far has had little to no traceable influence on the epistemology and practice of social psychology. If Popper is quoted or mentioned in the textbooks at all, the guiding principle of 'falsificationism' is reduced to a mere 'falsifiability' and some central elements of critical rationalism are left out – those that are incompatible with positivism and inductivism. Echoing earlier attempts to introduce Popper to social psychology by Paul Meehl and Tom Pettigrew, we will argue that a discussing Popper's ideas in more depth could help social psychology to move forward in view of the 'crisis of confidence' (Pashler and Wagenmakers, 2012) that has emerged recently in view of the 'Stapel affair' and the reports of failures to replicate social psychological experiments in high‐powered replication attempts.