This paper addresses the connection between action research and social psychology. Action research is a means of conducting research that focuses on solving a problem. Action researchers partner with those working in settings, such as organizations or schools, so that, together, they can better understand how people are interacting and identify means for improvement. Social psychologists also study issues related to how people interact but they do not focus on solving problems. Rather, they conduct experiments as a way of identifying general principles of human behavior. In the 1940s, action researchers and social psychologists saw their efforts as complementary. Since that time, the two have separated to the point that, today, there is little-to-no overlap in their work. In this paper, we discuss (a) how this separation has occurred, (b) why reconnecting the two would serve the general understanding of social behavior, and (c) how this reconnection can occur. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)