Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FMG) - Psychology Research Institute (PsyRes)
Abstract
We welcome the recommendations suggested by Asendorpf et al. Their proposed changes will undoubtedly improve psychology as an academic discipline. However, our current knowledge is based on past research. We therefore have an obligation to ‘dwell on the past’; that is, to investigate the veracity of previously published findings—particularly those featured in course materials and popular science books. We discuss some examples of staple ‘facts’ in psychology that are actually no more than hypotheses with rather weak empirical support and suggest various ways to remedy this situation.
