Theorytopia: Psychological Science in 2050
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: The year is 2050, and psychology has transformed into a theory-driven science—a Theorytopia. Drawing on initiatives and frameworks developed over the past decades since the Theory Crisis, three main advancements have made this transformation possible. First, specialization in theory construction within psychology ensures that theories are tested independently of those who propose them. Methodologies and training in theorizing have been strengthened, while new repositories, such as the “Garden of Living Theories,” promote cumulative record-keeping. Second, worldwide efforts consolidate robust psychological phenomena, reduce reliance on WEIRD samples, and systematize theoretical concepts. Measurement validation and studies probing context-dependency and auxiliary assumptions are now valued research directions in psychology, providing improved empirical bases for rigorous conceptual work. Third, stronger theories better serve the public. Computational modeling, tighter collaboration with stakeholders, better intervention design, new interfaces between science and the public, and the active inclusion of diverse perspectives are improving not just psychology’s societal impact, but also its epistemic value. In this paper, we describe what discussions, actions, and structural changes have led to these drastic improvements, and invite readers to participate in co-shaping the future of a psychological Theorytopia.
Authors: Luiza Yuan, Denny Borsboom, Jonas M B Haslbeck, Jason Nak, Anne M. Scheel, Noah N'Djaye Nikolai van Dongen, Laura Francina Bringmann, Kyra Evers, Pritam Laskar, Willem Frankenhuis, Andreas Glöckner, Marieke A. Helmich, Caspar J. Van Lissa, Richard McElreath, Philipp Musfeld, Freek Oude Maatman, Vencislav Popov, Donald Robinaugh, Alexandra Sarafoglou, Han L. J. van der Maas, Leonhard Volz, Meike Waaijers, Andrea Wittenborn, Eiko I Fried
Language: English
Subfield: General Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214714522