Between Doubt & Data – How We Really Measure Psychology

A recent study in personality research claims to have proven that climate activists glue themselves to the streets in order to satisfy their narcissistic need for recognition. In my presentation I will highlight the logical flaws in the theory, the methodological mistakes, and the implausible data of this study. I suggest ways to improve personality, social, and environmental psychology.

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, but how do we measure these things? Should depressive symptoms be assessed by clinicians or by patients? Should environmental behavior be measured by the duration of your morning shower, by the number of ecological dishwasher tabs or by your miles and more account? Using examples from clinical and environmental psychology, this talk shows that who reports, who observes, and how behavior is measured profoundly shapes the conclusions in psychological science.