As a Translational Behavioral Medicine Consultant and Professor I can attest that indeed our biggest task after publication of original research is application, and most often standing in the way of real world application are tortured theoretical frameworks. It behooves all researchers who wish to really make their contribution applicable in real world settings instead of merely filling a gap in the literature to carefully consider how their work can be applied. To say, for instance, that a given hypothesis is framed in the theory of cognitive dissonance we need to go a step further and find a way to resolve it. Most often we do a great job describing the problem, but resolving it is the undone part.

As a Translational Behavioral Medicine Consultant and Professor I can attest that indeed our biggest task after publication of original research is application, and most often standing in the way of real world application are tortured theoretical frameworks. It behooves all researchers who wish to really make their contribution applicable in real world settings instead of merely filling a gap in the literature to carefully consider how their work can be applied. To say, for instance, that a given hypothesis is framed in the theory of cognitive dissonance we need to go a step further and find a way to resolve it. Most often we do a great job describing the problem, but resolving it is the undone part.

I think that one of the most detrimental applications of a theory is the "theory" of trickle-down economics. The proposition that when rich people have more money they will create more jobs has never been borne out by the facts, in spite of 35 years of failed attempts.  

When rich people have more money, they invest it. In reality, jobs are created when demand for a given product or service outpaces supply. As a result, it is consumer spending that leads to job creation. Economists say that one dollar of consumer spending "turns over" in the economy 4-6 times, effecting the supply in multiple businesses..  

Putting more money in the hands of rich people so they can invest it does not trigger increased consumer spending. Putting more money in the hands of middle and lower income people is what spurs consumer spending, turning over several times in the economy, and causing employers to hire more people so they can keep up with demand.

Failure after failure to make trickle-down economics work has had world-wide negative impact cross multiple decades.

Ian,

One of the most positive and detrimental applications of a theory was the development of nuclear energy.

As a sociology professor I find many students enamored with principles of Marxism. Having grown up under communism I personally experienced the disconnect between  that attractive theory and its applications.

On the positive side Aron Antonovsky's work on a sense of coherence and Maslow's work on a  hierarchy of needs were each important forerunners of  the now influential positive psychology movement that focuses on the human ability to transcend negative life situations and stressors.

Hi Ian,

Let me respond to your excellent question in two ways. First, a general comment and then an example of a specific theoretical orientation and its impact.  To my thinking, one of the most problematic aspects of a theoretical orientation is that the specific theory often pre-determines how one goes about formulating experiments, asking questions and interpreting data sets.  In effect, if one is not circumspect enough about their theoretical orientation they tend to put a set of blinders on that influences all aspects of their research and application.  We have to be willing to really consider various theoretical applications and test out both what we initially prefer and other theoretical orientations.  This is certainly not easy...but if one is not theoretically circumspect, then a potential bias occurs.

With regard to one theoretical orientation (as a researcher in language acquisition and learning and an applied researcher in pedagogy) I believe that behaviorism has been a most detrimental theoretical orientation.  The behaviorism of J.B. Watson and then its newer version from B.F. Skinner and even the work of neo-behaviorists have had a profound impact on applications to learning, acquisition, pedagogy and even how we engage in research (the current experimental  approach in human research).  This theoretical orientation functioned as a Zeitgeist throughout the first 60 years of the 20th century and still holds sway over much of the work in the psychological, cognitive, social and pedagogical sciences.  Although many researchers and theorists from the late great Jerome Bruner to Noam Chomsky, Lev Vygotsky, Jean Piaget and many others more oriented to other perspectives (i.e., constructivism) provided a wealth of data on the severe limitations of behaviorism in human learning, development, and pedagogy since the mid 1950s, behaviorism is still applied (often with poor results) either explicitly or implicitly in the social, psychological, and pedagogical sciences.  Perhaps one of the best discussions of this is the book by John Mills, Control.  I have also attached a piece that I wrote regarding pieces of this problematic orientation.

The natural sciences have full examples to your questions: Biology, Geology, Physics,…

Every theories can be very positive if its utility is well determinated.. If its basics are well chosen… If the mentioned consideration are over estimated…the theories becomes detrimental (example actual theory of gravity was useful in condition before 100 years, but in actual condition it becomes detrimental… Onto it become to complex exoplanets position explanation, prediction of earthquakes, creation of better geo-models ,… In physics the most important theory was Thory of energy conservation…

Hi Ian,

The best use of theory especially in research is when the theory used  in generating variables for the study such that there is a link between the topic, objectives, theory and conceptual framework. The most detrimental use of theory is when a theory is just planted in a study without it being linked to other parts of a study and also when it does not helping in coming up with study variables.

Probably the most detrimental theories are those that have dire consequences when applied to human health. In recent decades, theoretical models applied to symptomology has replaced pathophysiological pathway models so that symptoms of chronic disease have become medicalized--and the control of those symptoms, instead of rectification of underlying contributors or causes, have spawned whole new classes of medications. These medications, while financially profitable for investors, have become problematic to the populations which take them, because underlying factors are left unaddressed to cause continual degeneration while symptoms appear to be ameliorated. This yields a population that becomes dependent on the medications to make outcomes appear rectified on paper while underlying processes cascade into worsening disease over time. 

Employment of theories in linguistic analysis often makes research in language  a more scientific and an  analytical study.However, problem often arises when the data being studied doesn't tally with the linguistic theory being applied or used.Besides, problem equally comes  when theory is first chosen before selecting the data. Whenever any of these occurs ,theoretical base of the study will be  faulty since the theory chosen will not be apt to analyse t

data.

The most helpful applications of political theory are the works of John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau and Baron Montesquieu in creating  the American Constitution and other liberal democracies. The most harmful applications of political theory are the distortion of the works of the German idealists such as Freiedrich Hegel,  the irrationalists such as Friedrich Nietzsche, and racists such as Arthur Gobineau to create totalitarianism in Italy and Germany.