UC San Diego

Experimental psychology in the early 20th century was targeted by several authors who described a crisis— often expressed as a lack of theoretical and experimental progress.

In the 21st century, the crisis of competing theories has been largely overcome but several current emphases hinder the development of a mature experimental science.

Central among these are an ethnocentrism that focuses on Western standards and populations, neuroscientism which often treats neurological evidence independently of mental and behavioral events, and the tendency for demonstration experiments to replace coordinated theoretical approaches.