My concern about this apparently laudable idea is that it could lead to false failures of replication. The fidelity of adhering to the manipulations of the original study may be difficult to accomplish with the resources and time available in many undergraduate research courses. (Many of these studies were supported with substantial money, customized laboratory spaces, etc. for various aspects of the studies, even to the point of confederates in some of the studies being paid professional actors.) Therefore, you end up with poorly executed attempts that fail to replicate. Those end up in the PsychFileDrawer website making it look like psychology can't replicate its own work.
I think the PsychFileDrawer and the APS initiatives are good ideas and it should be done. There should be outlets for and credit given for solid replication of important findings. Heck, the attempts to find the so-called God Particle will not be declared successful until at least one other laboratory conclusively replicates. They get funding to replicate, they get published, and it is considered essential work for the advancement of the field. So it should be in Psychology. Paul On Jun 18, 2013, at 5:01 PM, Leo Standing wrote: > > Especially if you teach research methods, you may be aware of the keen > interest that has developed during the last year or two concerning the > problem of replicating published studies. Some writers speak of a "crisis of > replicability", and many articles are appearing which discuss this issue. > > Briefly, when people try to replicated studies from the mainstream > literature, it appears that they fail in most cases. > > The important PsychFileDrawer website provides a convenient way for > psychologists to post a public record of their successes and failures in > conducting replication studies. Currently, this website list 12 successful, > and 22 unsuccessful attempts to repeat well-known studies from the major > peer-reviewed journals, so to date the likelihood of repeating a published > study successfully is only 35%! > > http://www.psychfiledrawer.org/ > > This message is to recommend replication attempts as useful class exercises > in teaching research methods. > > A small team of students can choose a suitable study from the list maintained > at the above website (or of course they could choose their own target > article). They then study the paper, discuss it with the instructor, and then > attempt to repeat the study as exactly as possible, testing at least as many > subjects as in the target article. They can then post their results on the > PsychFileDrawer website, to add to this database. They benefit > pedagogically, and psychological science is advanced. This approach works > well, in our experience. > > In comparison with the traditional self-chosen term project, we have found > that this type of project is much easier on the student and the instructor, > is more manageable, and leads to better final reports in a one-semester > advanced research methods course. (An individual project was offered as an > alternative, but not one student choose it). Incidentally, these students > will subsequently conduct a two-semester dissertation study which involves > original work. > > Leo > > > Leo Standing, BSc, MA, PhD, FAPS > Professor, Dept of Psychology > Bishop's University, Nicolls 205 > 2600 rue Collège > Sherbrooke, QC > Canada J1M 1Z7 > > OFFICE HOURS 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. daily > Office phone 819-822-9600 ext.2456 > > Home phone: 819-346-1897 > Home email: [email protected] > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13441.4e79e96ebb5671bdb50111f18f263003&n=T&l=tips&o=26142 > or send a blank email to > leave-26142-13441.4e79e96ebb5671bdb50111f18f263...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=26143 or send a blank email to leave-26143-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
