Underfunding Basic Psychological Science Because of the Primacy of the Here and Now: A Scientific Conundrum

Abstract

The psychological sciences are suffering from the primacy of the “here and now” and from a radical utilitarian view of science—this is certainly true in less affluent countries around the world. Portugal is a particular case study, as both psychology departments and funding agencies are largely biased toward applied psychology—but this is a more global trend. The field needs to find a balance between applied and basic psychology to better respond to the challenges of tomorrow.