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dc.contributor.creatorMcGann, Marek
dc.contributor.creatorSpeelman, Craig P.
dc.date.accessioned2021-03-19T14:45:28Z
dc.date.available2021-03-19T14:45:28Z
dc.date.issued2020-04-24
dc.identifier.citationMcGann, M. & Speelman, C, P. (2020) 'Two kinds of theory- what psychology can learn from Einstein', Theory and Psychology, 30(5), 674-689.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/2951
dc.description.abstractA century ago, Einstein distinguished between two kinds of theory—theories of principle and constructive theories. These have separate but complementary roles to play in the advancement of knowledge, in the manner in which they relate to data and in how they are developed. The different kinds of theory carry implications for what kinds of data we produce and for how they are put to use. We outline Einstein’s distinction and the model of theory formation that it involves. We then use the distinction to look at some of the discussion of scientific practice in psychology, particularly recent work on the need for more theoretical, rather than purely methodological, sophistication. We argue in agreement with Einstein that the distinction is a useful one and that adopting it as a tenet of theoretical development requires a renewed commitment to a natural history of psychology.en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherSAGE Publicationsen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries30;5
dc.rightshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0959354320937804en_US
dc.rights.urihttps://journals.sagepub.com/en_US
dc.subjectScientific practiceen_US
dc.subjectTheories of principleen_US
dc.subjectConstructive theoriesen_US
dc.subjectNatural historyen_US
dc.subjectExploratory researchen_US
dc.titleTwo kinds of theory- what psychology can learn from Einstein (Pre-published)en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
dc.type.supercollectionall_mic_researchen_US
dc.type.supercollectionmic_published_revieweden_US
dc.description.versionYesen_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1177/0959354320937804


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