to make some observations and then formulate a hypothesis in attempt to explain those observations.
In fact, that is a critical part of the scientific method.
Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe I'm not understanding what you are saying. But trying to come up with a theory that would explain what is being observed would be a good thing, not a bad thing.
(Again, I'm not even talking about the validity of that study in question. I haven't read it, and I have no idea if it has any merit at all.)