When Criticism Fails
An Answer to Kelly (2026) on Debunking When Prophecy Fails
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24225253 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stéphanie Baggio (0000-0002-5347-5937, Institute of Psychology University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland), Rémy Amouroux (0000-0003-3402-0942, Institute of Psychology University of Lausanne Lausanne Switzerland) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | e70076-e70076 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-5061 • E-ISSN: 1520-6696 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/jhbs.70076 |
| PMID | 42867149 |
| OpenAlex | W7221685732 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 16 |
In his recent article, Kelly (2026) accuses Festinger, Riecken, and Schachter of intentionally misrepresenting their 1956 foundational study, When Prophecy Fails . While we acknowledge Kelly's contribution to the literature, we contest the interpretative leap from documenting misrepresentation to alleging intentional misconduct. To illustrate this point, we analysed Kelly's interpretation of Henry Riecken's role, showing how the same archival material can be used to support alternative plausible interpretations. In the absence of clear archival evidence directly supporting the allegation of intentional misconduct, we believe that the move from distortion to misconduct is insufficiently warranted. Our main concern with Kelly's article is therefore that it treats archival materials as if they could support the kind of interpretative closure associated with experimental proof. In doing so, his article risks limiting the very methodological dialogue the psychological humanities seek to foster. A historically reflexive and psychologically informed critique should preserve space for alternative explanations, especially where researchers' theoretical commitments may influence their interpretation of evidence. Allegations of intentional misconduct therefore require strong evidence and serious engagement with such alternatives. In the case of When Prophecy Fails , we believe that this standard has not been met.
archival evidence · Cognitive dissonance · debunking · historical interpretation · Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology · Philosophy, History, and Historiography · Psychology Research and Bibliometrics
Behind the Shock Machine
The Allure of the Archives
Confirmation Bias
When Prophecy Fails and Faith Persists
Prophecy and Dissonance
When prophecy fails
The origins of the psychological experiment as a social institution
Whatever happened to little Albert
Credibility and Incredulity in Milgram’s Obedience Experiments
Debunking “When Prophecy Fails”
The Kitty Genovese murder and the social psychology of helping
Debunking the Stanford Prison Experiment
From Psychological Science to the Psychological Humanities
Prophecy fails again
| Highly cited | No |
|---|