Summerschool
Summer School Theory Building in Psychology
July 6-10, 2026
We are excited to announce the very first edition of the summer school Theory Building in Psychology, organized by the Theory Methods Society, hosted at the University of Amsterdam. Join us for a tour de force in diverse approaches to theory construction from July 6 to July 10 (2026)!
What To Expect
In recent years, psychology has entered what many call a theory crisis: an urgent need to strengthen how we develop and evaluate psychological theories. This summer school serves as an introduction to contemporary approaches addressing this challenge. Throughout the week, leading experts in methodology and theoretical psychology will guide participants through diverse strategies for building, evaluating, and improving psychological theories. The program combines lectures, interactive discussions, and hands-on exercises to help participants integrate conceptual reflection on psychological theories (e.g., their structure and function) with concrete tools for building them.
Learning Goals
After the summer school, participants will be able to:
- Reflect on the role and value of theory and formal models in psychological research
- Link data, phenomena, models, and theories in a coherent framework
- Apply tools and techniques for theory building
- Experiment with formal models
- Critically reflect on their own assumptions about the nature and purpose of psychological theories
- Derive and test falsifiable hypotheses from theories
Covered Topics
The following topics and more will be covered during the summer school:
- The importance of conceptual clarification and phenomena
- Problems with psychology’s predominantly ambiguous theories and how to address them
- Perspectives on prediction and explanation
- The promise and challenges of analogical modelling
- An introduction to causal loop diagrams, dynamical systems, and agent-based modelling
- The value and pitfalls of formal models used in contemporary psychological research
- New developments in the field to improve psychological theory
Requirements
This summer school is designed for participants at the doctoral (PhD student) level or higher who possess familiarity with the R programming language. Participants are expected to bring their own laptop. Familiarity with mathematics beyond the high school level is not required. If you do not fulfill these requirements, registration is at your own risk.
Participation Costs
800.00 euros. The costs include participation in all lectures and practical sessions (from 09:00 to 17:00), lunch, drinks on Monday, and dinner on Thursday.
Registration
You can apply for the summer school via this registration link. Please note that participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, and registration is only confirmed after you have received an email from us. You can expect to receive information regarding your registration in April (2026). If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the summer school will unfortunately be cancelled.
Stay Informed
If you don’t want to register yet but do receive updates on the summer school, sign up for the mailing list here.
Contact
For any questions, please email theorybuildingsummerschool@gmail.com