Readings
These are starter readings for Topic 8. Please also read the associated blog posts and listen to the podcasts.
Is the replicability crisis overblown?
Is Psychology Suffering From a Replication Crisis?
Psychology’s Replication Crisis as Scientific Opportunity: A Précis for Policymakers
Replications in Psychology Research: How Often Do They Really Occur?
Podcast
Reproducibilitea Podcast 5 - Is the Crisis Overblown?
This week talked about Pashier & Harris’s (2012) “Is the replicability crisis overblown? Three arguments examined.”
Essay Topic - Is the Crisis Overblown?
It is a good idea for scientists to be skeptical about new ideas. Thus it’s also good to pause and consider whether it is overly dramatic to call the current situation regarding replication in Psychology a “crisis”. Some (e.g. Maxwell, 2015) have argued that many replications may have failed because of low power rather than the absence of an underlying effect, and that there is no cause for alarm. In this essay, you will explore arguments for and against the notion that the crisis is overblown. Starter readings are in Topic 8.
Some questions to consider:
- What is the correct definition of a p-value? (Hint: Your textbook may be wrong!) How does this relate to the claim that there should be a relatively low rate of false positives in the literature?
- Is it true that science is self-correcting?
- What are the benefits of direct compared to conceptual replications?
- What is your assessment of the main arguments that the crisis is overblown?
- Are there positive lessons to be learned from the replication crisis?
Forum
Some researchers have argued that the Replicability Crisis is overblown, and that more studies than not should replicate. After listening to the podcast and reading the assigned readings, what do you think? Should we all calm down and just get on with our research?
Post your thoughts below!