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We need to think more about how we conduct research
1Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin Lentzeallee 94, 14195Berlin, Germany. gigerenzer@mpib-berlin.mpg.de.
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|February 10, 2022
Summary
Research often relies on routine sampling of subjects, not stimuli, leading to flawed generalizations. This practice, driven by administrative needs, overlooks scientific rigor and promotes a replicability delusion.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Research Methodology
Background:
- Research practices are frequently dictated by routine rather than critical reflection.
- The common practice of sampling subjects but not stimuli can lead to unwarranted generalizations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the issue of routine-based research practices.
- To examine the consequences of sampling only subjects and not stimuli.
- To critique the overreliance on statistical significance and the replicability delusion.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of common research practices in subject sampling.
- Critique of the origins and reinforcement of current methodologies.
- Examination of the concept of the replicability delusion.
Main Results:
- The routine of sampling subjects, not stimuli, likely stems from administrative rather than scientific concerns.
- Generalizations drawn from subject-only sampling are often unwarranted.
- The meaningfulness of statistical significance is often overestimated, contributing to the replicability delusion.
Conclusions:
- Researchers should move beyond routine practices and engage in critical reflection.
- A more rigorous approach to stimulus sampling is needed to avoid flawed generalizations.
- Challenging the replicability delusion is crucial for advancing scientific understanding.
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