PSY1013 - Week 1: Research Biases and the Replication Crisis

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the Week 1 lecture transcript covering core definitions in psychological methodology, scientific falsification, research biases, questionable research practices, and the replication crisis.

Psychology

Defined by William James as the science of mental life, encompassing both its phenomena (such as feelings, desires, cognition, reasoning, decisions) and their conditions.

Research

Defined by Western Sydney University (2020) as the creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way to generate new concepts, methodologies, and understanding.

Psychological Research

The application of scientific methods to examine questions and test hypotheses in order to understand human thought and behaviour across biological, individual, interpersonal, and societal levels.

Scientific Method

A set of rules and techniques that enable researchers to avoid illusions, mistakes, and erroneous conclusions produced by simple observation.

Falsification

A scientific principle formulated by Karl Popper stating that for a theory to be scientific, it must be empirically testable and conceivably proven false.

Cognitive Bias

A systematic error in thinking that occurs when processing and interpreting environmental information, influencing decisions and judgments.

Confirmation Bias

An individual cognitive bias involving the tendency to search for, interpret, favor, and recall information in a manner that confirms pre-existing beliefs or values.

Reporting Bias

A practice where scientists make specific methodological or analytical choices in studies to achieve desired outcomes but fail to disclose those choices in their reporting.

Publication Bias

Also known as the File Drawer Problem; the higher likelihood of publishing statistically significant results ($p < .05$) compared to statistically insignificant (null) results, controlling for research quality.

Citation Bias

The tendency for research investigations reporting positive or beneficial results to be cited significantly more often than studies reporting neutral, negative, or non-replication findings.

Questionable Research Practices (QRPs)

Research behaviours that fall short of responsible conduct standards but are generally not considered severe enough to be classified as formal research misconduct.

Replication Crisis

A widespread phenomenon in scientific research referring to frequent failures in attempts to reproduce the findings of published original studies.

Power Posing Study

A study by Carney et al. (2010) claiming expansive physical postures increased testosterone, reduced cortisol, and heightened risk tolerance, which failed to replicate in subsequent independent studies (e.g., Ranehill et al., 2015).

Results Driven Culture

A academic environment described by Nosek et al. (2012) as 'publish or perish,' where systemic incentives prioritizing positive novel outcomes compete with the production of rigorous, high-quality science.