Publication: Should we say goodbye to latent constru...
Master data
Title: | Should we say goodbye to latent constructs to overcome replication crisis or should we take into account epistemological considerations? |
Subtitle: | |
Abstract: | The paper discusses theoretical and epistemological problems concerning validity of psychological science in the context of latent constructs. I consider the use of latent constructs as one reason for the replicability crisis. At the moment, there exist different constructs describing the same psychological phenomena side by side, and different psychological phenomena that are reflected by the same latent construct. Hagger called them déjà-variables, which lead to a decreasing validity of measurements and inhibit a deeper understanding of psychological phenomena. To overcome this problem, I suggest a shift of theoretical and epistemological perspective on latent constructs. One main point is the explicit consideration of latent constructs as mental representations, which changes objects and are changed by objects via assimilative and accommodative processes. The explicit orientation towards assimilation and accommodation allows the control of normally automatized processes that influence our understanding of psychological phenomena and their corresponding latent constructs. I argue that assimilation and accommodation are part of our research practice anyway and cause the mentioned problems. For example, taking a measurement is an assimilative process, and thus a high measurement error should lead to an increase of accommodative processes. Taking into account these considerations, I suggest consequences for research practices, for individual researchers and for the philosophy of science. |
Keywords: | epistemology, latent constructs, assimilation, accommodation, déjà-variables, assimilation bias, over-accommodation, over-assimilation |
Publication type: | Article in journal (Authorship) |
Publication date: | 27.08.2019 (Online) |
Published by: |
Frontiers in Psychology
Frontiers in Psychology
(
Frontiers Media S.A.;
)
to publication |
Title of the series: | - |
Volume number: | - |
Issue: | - |
First publication: | Yes |
Version: | - |
Page: | pp. 1 - 8 |
Versionen
Keine Version vorhanden |
Publication date: | 27.08.2019 |
ISBN (e-book): | - |
eISSN: | - |
DOI: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01949 |
Homepage: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01949/full |
Open access |
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Assignment
Organisation | Address | ||||
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Fakultät für Kultur- und Bildungswissenschaften
Institut für Unterrichts- und Schulentwicklung
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AT - 9020 Klagenfurt am Wörthersee |
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Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften
Institut für Psychologie Abteilung für Entwicklungspsychologie
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AT - 9020 Klagenfurt |
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Peer reviewed |
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