Psychological Science in the Wake of COVID-19: Social, Methodological, and Metascientific Considerations

Daniel L. Rosenfeld, Emily Balcetis, Brock Bastian, Elliot T. Berkman, Jennifer K. Bosson, Tiffany N. Brannon, Anthony L. Burrow, C. Daryl Cameron, Serena Chen, Jonathan E. Cook, Christian Crandall, Shai Davidai, Kristof Dhont, Paul W. Eastwick, Sarah E. Gaither, Steven W. Gangestad, Thomas Gilovich, Kurt Gray, Elizabeth L. Haines, Martie G. HaseltonNick Haslam, Gordon Hodson, Michael A. Hogg, Matthew J. Hornsey, Yuen J. Huo, Samantha Joel, Frank J. Kachanoff, Gordon Kraft-Todd, Mark R. Leary, Alison Ledgerwood, Randy T. Lee, Steve Loughnan, Cara C. MacInnis, Traci Mann, Damian R. Murray, Carolyn Parkinson, Efrén O. Pérez, Tom Pyszczynski, Kaylin Ratner, Hank Rothgerber, James D. Rounds, Mark Schaller, Roxane Cohen Silver, Barbara A. Spellman, Nina Strohminger, Janet K. Swim, Felix Thoemmes, Betul Urganci, Joseph A. Vandello, Sarah Volz, Vivian Zayas, A. Janet Tomiyama

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has extensively changed the state of psychological science from what research questions psychologists can ask to which methodologies psychologists can use to investigate them. In this article, we offer a perspective on how to optimize new research in the pandemic’s wake. Because this pandemic is inherently a social phenomenon—an event that hinges on human-to-human contact—we focus on socially relevant subfields of psychology. We highlight specific psychological phenomena that have likely shifted as a result of the pandemic and discuss theoretical, methodological, and practical considerations of conducting research on these phenomena. After this discussion, we evaluate metascientific issues that have been amplified by the pandemic. We aim to demonstrate how theoretically grounded views on the COVID-19 pandemic can help make psychological science stronger—not weaker—in its wake.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)311-333
Number of pages23
JournalPerspectives on Psychological Science
Volume17
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • large-scale collaboration
  • metascience

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology

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