Psychology of the Scientist: XVIII. The Factualizing Game: A Sickness of Psychological Research

1966 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 563-570 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Ryder
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Value Judgments

Factualizing is representing value judgments as descriptive facts. It is criticized as a pervasive and serious flaw in psychological (and other social science) research. A number of instances are cited.

The case for collation to inform debate and transform practice in decolonising Psychology

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 372-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catriona Ida Macleod
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Science ◽  
South African ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Global South ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Global North

Critiques of the ‘relevance’ of Psychology in South Africa and Africa have been raging for a number of decades now. Recent debates about decolonising Psychology and what is meant by African Psychology have been rigorous and necessary. In this commentary, I argue that in order for Psychology to move beyond Euro-American-centric epistemology and practice, these efforts need to be supplemented with the grounded praxis of research and literature collation. The epistemological, empirical, and conceptual knowledges that have been generated within the South African, African, and Global South contexts need to be brought together in coherent forms. As with other analytical processes, the grounded praxis of collating knowledges around a particular topic or approach allows for fresh insights and for the transfer of knowledges generated in context. Gaps in current research may be identified, debates on particular issues strengthened, and practice potentially improved. Drawing on two examples – textbooks and systematic literature reviews – and from my and colleagues’ work in conducting these kinds of collation work, I argue that: textbook writers should use grounded methodologies to generate texts based on South African, African, and Global South research, with reference to research conducted in the Global North being peripheral at best; and systematic reviews enable the cross-fertilisation of ideas from other social science research where psychological research is sparse. Funders should consider funding collation efforts.

scholarly journals What Confucian Philosophy Means for Chinese and Asian Psychology Today: Indigenous Roots for a Psychology of Social Change

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 35-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
James H. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Social Change ◽  
Social Science ◽  
World View ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Ordinary People ◽  
Chinese People ◽  
Psychology Today ◽  
Confucian Philosophy

It is claimed via analysis of Shu-Hsien Liu's seminal book Understanding Confucian Philosophy that contemporary Confucianism offers: (1) a set of ultimate concerns that can be used to guide life and scholarly endeavour; (2) an axiomatic world view, and a generative model of human nature that not only accords with empirical evidence, but is highly adaptive in organising society; (3) an epistemology that is appropriate for social science research on social change. These qualities suggest that contemporary Confucianism can inform psychological research in a manner that goes far deeper than merely describing popular tendencies among culturally Chinese people. It may be used in constructing a form of social science with depth and utility in addressing both practical and existential concerns of scholars and ordinary people in society that is not restricted to Chinese societies alone, but any society in need of inspiration in seeking to construct humanist ethics for research and governance.

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