Computational modeling can help psychologists formalize and test their theories

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 2 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Researchers who study the scientific process argue that computational modeling is an undervalued tool for psychological science. They suggest that using models to formalize and specify intuitive ideas can help researchers move beyond simple data observation toward building more robust, predictive, and explanatory theories of human behavior.

The authors propose that modeling forces scientists to analyze and formalize 'open theory'—the unexamined intuitions that often drive research. By constraining the inference process, modeling can help prevent the replicability crises and theory-building failures that occur when scientific steps remain unformalized and non-transparent.

Why it matters: Formalizing intuitions through models may help psychology overcome persistent challenges in theory building and replication.

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