Transformative ideas and elaborate theoretical castles: Commentary on Baumann et al. (2026).

Motivation Science, Vol 12(1), Mar 2026, 19; doi:10.1037/mot0000426

Comments on the original article by Baumann et al. (see record 2027-60927-001) regarding the work of Julius Kuhl. The article offers a comprehensive and highly accessible summary of the impressively complex and insightful conceptual and empirical oeuvre of Julius Kuhl. It traces the development of Kuhl’s thinking from his early reach beyond a static and content-focused view of motivational phenomena to the fully developed personality systems interactions theory. One important conveyor of intellectual legacies is intergenerational transfer via student, and, in this regard, Julius Kuhl has great assets to support the legacy of his thinking. The other strategy for safeguarding the legacy of our great thinkers is to focus on their main and most revolutionary ideas and not get hung up on the intricacies of their models. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)

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