Preregistration in infant research-A primer
Naomi Havron1, Christina Bergmann2, Sho Tsuji3
1Département d'Etudes Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique, PSL University, Paris, France.
Insights
Preregistration, or specifying research plans beforehand, is crucial for infant studies. Despite challenges like small sample sizes and unpredictable infant behavior, it enhances study credibility and improves research practices.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Research Methodology
Background:
- Preregistration is increasingly adopted in scientific research.
- Infant studies face unique challenges, including difficulty recruiting participants, small sample sizes, limited trial completion, and unpredictable participant exclusion criteria.
- Calculating a priori effect sizes is complicated by age- and population-dependent effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the specific challenges of preregistration in infant research.
- To offer strategies for addressing these challenges in study planning and preregistration.
- To provide recommendations for best practices in preregistration for infant studies.
Main Methods:
- In-depth discussion of issues unique to infant research and preregistration.
- Analysis of how factors like sample size, participant attrition, and effect size estimation impact preregistration.
- Presentation of practical recommendations and strategies for researchers.
Main Results:
- Preregistration, despite inherent difficulties in infant studies, significantly enhances research credibility.
- A priori planning, including hypothesis and sample size specification, adds value to the field.
- Addressing unique infant study challenges in preregistration can lead to improved study design and decision-making.
Conclusions:
- Preregistration is a valuable tool for infant researchers, increasing study rigor and credibility.
- Overcoming challenges in preregistration can lead to more robust and reliable findings in developmental science.
- Implementing best practices for preregistration is recommended for advancing infant research.
Abstract:
Preregistration, the act of specifying a research plan in advance, is becoming more common in scientific research. Infant researchers contend with unique problems that might make preregistration particularly challenging. Infants are a hard-to-reach population, usually yielding small sample sizes, they can only complete a limited number of trials, and they can be excluded based on hard-to-predict complications (e.g., parental interference, fussiness). In addition, as effects themselves potentially change with age and population, it is hard to calculate an a priori effect size. At the same time, these very factors make preregistration in infant studies a valuable tool. A priori examination of the planned study, including the hypotheses, sample size, and resulting statistical power, increases the credibility of single studies and adds value to the field. Preregistration might also improve explicit decision making to create better studies. We present an in-depth discussion of the issues uniquely relevant to infant researchers, and ways to contend with them in preregistration and study planning. We provide recommendations to researchers interested in following current best practices.
