From description to generalization, or there and back again

Behav Brain Sci. 2022 Feb 10:45:e37. doi: 10.1017/S0140525X21000522.

Abstract

In his target article, Yarkoni prescribes descriptive research as a potential antidote for the generalizability crisis. In our commentary, we offer four guiding principles for conducting descriptive research that is generalizable and enduring: (1) prioritize context over control; (2) let naturalistic observations contextualize structured tasks; (3) operationalize the target phenomena rigorously and transparently; and (4) attend to individual data.

Publication types

  • Comment