Concerns About Theorizing, Relevance, Generalizability, and Methodology Across Two Crises in Social Psychology

During two crises in social psychology, the first from the 1960s to the end of the 1970s, and the second starting in 2010 and still ongoing, researchers discussed the strength of theories in the field, the societal relevance of research, the generalizability of effects, and problematic methodological and statistical practices. Continuing on the first part of this review, which focused on replicability, I compare similarities in the concerns raised across both crises. I consider which issues have prompted meaningful reforms and which have yet to result in significant progress. Finally, I reflect on the extent that the incentives contributed to these crises and argue that a more coordinated approach to scientific research is needed to prevent these concerns from resurfacing in a future third crisis.