Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-r8qmj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-22T14:25:55.501Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

From description to generalization, or there and back again

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 February 2022

Kelsey L. West
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu
Kasey C. Soska
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu
Whitney G. Cole
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu
Danyang Han
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu
Justine E. Hoch
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu
Christina M. Hospodar
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu
Brianna E. Kaplan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA kelsey.west@nyu.edu kasey.soska@nyu.edu wgcole@nyu.edu danyang.han@nyu.edu justine.hoch@nyu.edu christina.hospodar@nyu.edu brianna.kaplan@nyu.edu

Abstract

In his target article, Yarkoni prescribes descriptive research as a potential antidote for the generalizability crisis. In our commentary, we offer four guiding principles for conducting descriptive research that is generalizable and enduring: (1) prioritize context over control; (2) let naturalistic observations contextualize structured tasks; (3) operationalize the target phenomena rigorously and transparently; and (4) attend to individual data.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable