The future of psychology decades after The future of psychology

Abstract

In this paper, I give an overview of the various predictions presented in The future of psychology by Toda (1971) from the perspective of the present, which is indeed a distant future from that time. In particular, the following aspects were briefly addressed: external pressures on the development of psychology, theories of psychology, psychology and technology, and collaboration in psychology. Based on the current understanding of these issues, the future of psychology as seen from now is discussed: it will probably be characterized as a convergence of machine learning, advances in technology related to our research practices, and large-scale collaboration involving citizens. This paper concludes that thinking about the future of psychology is the same as thinking about what the identity of psychologists is and how psychology can survive.