Talk title: Invariants of human behaviour revisited: Snapshot vs universal explanations in psychology

Abstract

The generality of psychological theories is sharply divided by the basic-applied distinction. While basic research aims to uncover universal invariants of human thought and behaviour independent of the current moment (How does memory work? How do people solve problems?), applied research aims to provide explanations to how people solve more proximal problems (How well do eyewitnesses identify suspects in a line-up? What are the best methods to help students learn in the modern-day classroom?). I will argue that much of what is currently considered basic research is in fact applied. To make this point, I will draw on evolutionary epistemology – the idea that evolutionary logic underlies every knowledge-generation process, including biological and cultural evolution, and human creativity. Under this view, the invariant processes that basic research should aim to explain are those that increase and decrease variance and effect change over time (like the mutation and natural selection processes of biological evolution). Basic psychological research today, on the other hand, typically focuses on what people do right now and, as such, provides only “snapshot” explanations – e.g., cataloging the current strategies for memorising things or solving math or logic problems. I’ll outline a more promising way towards universal psychological theories.