Project Details
Projekt
Systematising Theory Building
Applicant
Dr. Xenia Schmalz
Subject Area
General, Cognitive and Mathematical Psychology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
Developmental and Educational Psychology
Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 464350745
Theory building and replicability have a bidirectional relationship: If there is variability in how researchers interpret and consequently test theories, we expect low replicability. At the same time, with low replicability, it is unclear which findings need to be explained by or incorporated into a theory. Using the case study of reading research and developmental dyslexia research, we aim to identify how to break this cycle. In Work Package 1, we will systematically outline the necessary steps for sound theory building, using causal theories from reading and developmental dyslexia research. We will create a template based on generalisable steps in the theory building process. In Work Package 2, we will focus on a specific tool that has been proposed to improve theory building and thus replicability: Computational modelling. We will investigate the reasons why computational modelling may improve replicability, and specify in which cases relying on a computational model in theory building may be most useful. In Work Package 3, we will focus on how to put the outcomes of Work Packages 1 and 2 into practice. We will create a living document so that the results and recommendations from the current project are easily accessible to researchers world-wide. We will also discuss whether mandating some of our recommendations will be fruitful. In sum, the project aims to focus on a case study, but generalise the results to other areas in the social and behavioural sciences, with the aim of breaking the cycle between vague theories and low replicability.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
Co-Investigators
Professor Dr. Benjamin Gagl; Professor Dr. Gerd Schulte-Körne
