18.7: Does the field of psychology have meta-theories?

Applied Developmental Systems Science · LibreTexts

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    Does the field of psychology have meta-theories?

    During different historical periods, specific meta-theories dominated the field of psychology. For example, during the 1940s and 1950s, behaviorism held sway. In the 1960s, Piaget’s theories were introduced to the United States and captured the field’s attention. When a specific meta-theory governs the field, it becomes very difficult for researchers from opposing meta-theories to work—they have trouble getting funding, they have trouble getting their research findings published, and they are marginalized by other researchers. For example, when the area of motivation was dominated by behaviorists (who believed that all behavior was motivated by rewards and punishments), it was very difficult for researchers to study and publish research on intrinsic motivation.

    This page titled 18.7: Does the field of psychology have meta-theories? was last modified on Wed, 25 Nov 2020 19:18:13 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Ellen A. Skinner, Thomas A. Kindermann, Robert W. Roeser, Cathleen L Smith, Andrew Mashburn, and Joel Steele (Portland State University Library) .