THE SO-CALLED THEORETICAL CRISIS OF PSYCHOLOGY AND THE ALTERNATIVES PROPOSED TO OVERCOME IT

Science is the practice that provides the most epistemically warranted claims that can be made and involves the possibility that explanatory theories will eventually be replaced by better ones. In the case of Psychology, the process of formulating theories through the scientific method has been difficult and has generated concern among scientific psychologists. Thus, in 1978 Meehl published a seminal text about the weakness of psychological theories, which has had a great influence to this day, with different authors describing a theoretical crisis in Psychology. This manuscript reviews the current panorama of the situation, characterizing the crisis, the associated factors and the proposals to solve it. In relation to the factors associated with the crisis, the youth of Psychology, the emphasis on data, problems in the definitions of constructs and their measurement, and difficulties in determining causality in Psychology are highlighted. With respect to the solutions, the proposals for including training in theory construction in the study plans, the integration of interdisciplinary skills, the theory formation cycle, and the formation of theories are reviewed. It is concluded about the need to include theoretical training within university curricula, as well as the possibility that Theoretical Psychology is a viable specialization for psychologists.