TOWARD THE ADVANCEMENT OF THEORETICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Abstract

There are signs that a healthy resurgence of interest in theory is occurring among psychologists. LVhile some will undoubtedly take the opposite point of view, perhaps most psychologists will agree that there has actually been something of an anti-theoretical climate in psychology for roughly the last quarter-century. Certainly in 1956 it is not quite as dangerous to go out on a theoretical limb as it was in 1935. I am going to present a point of view which will clearly place me out on a theoretical limb. There will be some psychologists ( I hope) who will be willing to climb out with me. There will be others who will prefer to climb in the other direction. Then there will always be a large group who (perhaps they are the wisest ones) won't climb out on any limbs. I challenge all active and latent climbers to start climbing in response to what I am about to present. The essence of what I am going to say is this. The status of our knowledge of behavior in mid-twentieth century is such that theoretical psychology will be most fruitful at this time if it is inductive rather than deductive, qualitative rather than quantitative, relatively loose rather than rigorous, closely rooted to empiricism rather than highly abstract and removed from observations, relatively naive rather than sophisticated from the point of view of philosophy of science, and both circumscribed and all-inclusive in the direction of its efforts.' Furthermore, I hope to add indirectly to the argument that systematic efforts represent the most urgent need today for the optimal development of the scientific psychology of tom~rrow.~ The history of the development of each of the modern sciences from a philosophical realm of speculation to a theoretically integrated system of experimental facts has been surprisingly similar. The need for each field to conquer problems of measurement and problems of controlled observation is a very important part of this history. Psychological science is no exception.

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