What Makes for a Good Theory? How to Evaluate a Theory Using the Strength Model of Self-Control as an Example

Karolin Gieseler; David D. Loschelder; Malte Friese

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-13788-5_1

What Makes for a Good Theory? How to Evaluate a Theory Using the Strength Model of Self-Control as an Example

Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review

Authors

Karolin Gieseler
David D. Loschelder
Malte Friese

Professorship of business and social psychology & methods

This chapter adopts a metascientific perspective and discusses two basic questions: (1) What are criteria for evaluating the quality of a psychological theory? (2) What are criteria for evaluating the empirical evidence related to a theory? The chapter discusses these criteria on a general level and by examining one specific theory and accompanying empirical work as an illustrative example—the Strength Model of Self-Control by Baumeister and colleagues (Baumeister and Heatherton Psychol Inq 7:1–15, 1996; Baumeister and Vohs Adv Exp Soc Psychol 54:67–127, 2016). Although necessarily incomplete, the discussed criteria for the quality of theorizing and empiricism can be applied to many theories in (social) psychological research. They are therefore relevant not only to basic research, but also to any applied work that is grounded in theory.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Social Psychology in Action : Evidence-Based Interventions from Theory to Practice
Editors	Kai Sassenberg, Michael L. W. Vliek
Number of pages	19
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Springer Nature AG
Publication date	01.01.2019
Pages	3-21
ISBN (print)	978-3-030-13787-8
ISBN (electronic)	978-3-030-13788-5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13788-5_1
Publication status	Published - 01.01.2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.

Research areas

Business psychology

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