A scientific construct must yield disconfirmable predictions that differ from existing ones

Evidence

When a new construct indeed differs from existing ones, the new construct should provide a basis for either (a) predicting previously unobserved empirical phenomena or (b) guiding research to show a gain in the efficiency with which existing phenomena can be explained. Importantly, the construct should be well enough linked to research operations that its predictions, especially its predictions that differ from those afforded by existing constructs, can be disconfirmed. — Anthony G. Greenwald and Mahzarin R. Banaji, Implicit Social Cognition, 45

Categorization

• QUESTION: Operationalizing the falsifiability criterion here - what disconfirming prediction would distinguish implicit from explicit bias measures in their relation to group-defense mechanisms from the MOC?
• DEFINE: Clear statement of falsifiability as a theory-evaluation criterion specific to construct validity.
• XREF: connects to: Theories must make testable predictions to be validated. — Hawking, Stephen, A Brief History of Time, 32; Disconfirming evidence can strengthen rather than weaken committed beliefs. — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 97; Open-ended theories inviting unlimited added conditions become unfalsifiable and impractical

Broader Connections

• Open-ended theories inviting unlimited added conditions become unfalsifiable and impractical #expands (0.90)
• Theories must make testable predictions to be validated. #corroborates (0.88) — Hawking, Stephen, A Brief History of Time, 32
• Disconfirming evidence can strengthen rather than weaken committed beliefs. #complicates (0.75) — Philip Mirowski, Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste, 97