Resolve jingle-jangle fallacies by merging jangle terms and differentiating jingle terms before integrating propositions¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 4 claims (4 for) · 4 studies (2 review, 2 theoretical), q1–q3 · 0 of 4 report an effect size · 4 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article argues that motivation research is plagued by jingle fallacies (one term, different constructs) and jangle fallacies (different terms, same construct). Jangle fallacies can be resolved by merging terms, while jingle fallacies "need to be resolved by differentiating—rather than integrating—terms." Clear definitions are needed before propositions can be judged and possibly merged, and similarity of constructs can be evaluated using Lawson and Robins's ten criteria for twin versus sibling constructs.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Clear definitions of constructs are needed before propositions on relations between constructs can be judged and integrated

Constraints¶

• For scientific purposes it is often better to be a splitter than a lumper; broad everyday terms are better reserved for communicating with practitioners and the public

Target Learners¶

• students in educational settings

Target Learning Goals¶

• academic motivation

Claims¶

• Jingle-jangle fallacies plague motivation constructs, requiring explicit justification of construct distinctions [+W]
• Jingle-jangle fallacies fragment SR research in education and impede cumulative progress [+W]
• Instruments show conceptual inconsistency: the same terms label different competence aspects, and disciplinary origin does not significantly correlate with definition or terminology choice [+W]
• Proliferating definitions and incompatible measures of social presence have produced a confounding situation that prevents a coherent research field [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Use consensus processes, editorial strategies, and institutional policies to make theory integration impactful
• Supplement self-report questionnaires with process-oriented and online measures of motivation during learning

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Reinhard Pekrun. (2024). Overcoming Fragmentation in Motivation Science: Why, When, and How Should We Integrate Theories? Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09846-5