#868 James Cresswell: Theories in Psychology
Dr. James Cresswell is Professor of Psychology at Ambrose University, Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary, Research Associate at the Canadian Poverty Institute, and Research Associate at the Newcomer Research Network. Dr. Cresswell has a deep commitment to education and to enhancing the student experience. His courses cover topics such as culture, immigration, and identities in an increasingly globalized world, as well as social psychology and interpersonal communication. Other teaching areas are child psychology and human development. His research interests draw on many sources, ranging from cultural psychology to cognitive science and literary theory.
In this episode, we talk about theoretical psychology. We start by discussing what a theory is, and whether data themselves can yield theories. We talk about the notion of “myth”. We discuss where we derive our philosophical/ontological conditions for truth from, and why it is so hard for psychologists to look critically at their own theories. We talk about different uses of theory, and what makes for a falsifiable claim. We discuss the similarities between theories and myths. We talk about theorizing, and what it is like to be both an insider and an outsider in a particular field. Finally, we discuss how to think about the replication crisis, and the “inclusion crisis”.
Time Links:
Intro
What is a theory?
Can data themselves yield up theories?
What is myth?
Where do we derive our philosophical/ontological conditions for truth from?
Why is it so hard for psychologists to look critically at their own theories?
Different uses of theory
What is a falsifiable claim?
The similarities between theories and myths
What is good theorizing?
Being an insider and an outsider in a particular field
Thinking about the replication crisis
The “inclusion crisis”
Follow Dr. Cresswell’s work!
Follow Dr. Cresswell’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/419et04
Works on ResearchGate: https://bit.ly/3GLf4wM