Nullius in Verba
Nullius in Verba is a podcast about science—what it is and what it could be. It is hosted by Smriti Mehta from UC Berkeley and Daniël Lakens from Eindhoven University of Technology.
Fri, April 04, 2025
Episode 56: Cur Plerumque Investigation Publica Falsa Est
Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2005). Why Most Published Research Findings Are False. PLoS Medicine, 2(8), e124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124 Neher, A. (1967). Probability Pyramiding, Research Error and the Need for Independent Replication. The Psychological Record, 17(2), 257–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393713 Moonesinghe, R., Khoury, M. J., & Janssens, A. C. J. W. (2007). Most Published Research Findings Are False—But a Little Replication Goes a Long Way. PLOS Medicine, 4(2), e28. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0040028 Stroebe, W. (2016). Are most published social psychological findings false? Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 66, 134–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2015.09.017 Diekmann, A. (2011). Are Most Published Research Findings False? Jahrbücher Für Nationalökonomie Und Statistik, 231(5–6), 628–635. https://doi.org/10.1515/jbnst-2011-5-606 Goodman, S., & Greenland, S. (2007). Why most published research findings are false: Problems in the analysis. PLoS Medicine, 4(4), e168. Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2007). Why most published research findings are false: Author’s reply to Goodman and Greenland. PLoS Medicine, 4(6), e215.
Fri, March 28, 2025
Prologus 56: Probability Pyramiding (A. Neher)
In preparation for our discussion of "Why Most Published Research Findings Are False" by John Ioannidis from 2005, we read a very similar paper published 40 years earlier: Neher, A. (1967). Probability Pyramiding, Research Error and the Need for Independent Replication. The Psychological Record, 17(2), 257–262. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03393713
S1 E55 · Fri, March 21, 2025
Episode 55: Pseudoscientia
In this episode, we discuss what separates science from pseudoscience and touch upon the demarcation problem, the recent controversial podcast called the Telepathy Tapes, and the movie Ghostbusters. Enjoy. Shownotes McLean v. Arkansas Pigliucci, M., & Boudry, M. (Eds.). (2019). Philosophy of pseudoscience: Reconsidering the demarcation problem . University of Chicago Press. Report of the Royal Commission to Investigate Animal Magnetism The Telepathy Tapes Frankfurt, H. G. (2009). On bullshit . Moberger, V. (2020). Bullshit, pseudoscience and pseudophilosophy. Theoria, 86 (5), 595–611. Ghostbusters (1984) - Venkman's ESP Test Scene
Fri, March 07, 2025
Episode 54: Fabulae Coniurationis
Conspiracy Stories Show Notes: Zeitgeist documentary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist_(film_series) Podcast Drang naar Samenhang: https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/drang-naar-samenhang/id1584797552 This is not a conspiracy theory documentary. https://www.everythingisaremix.info/tinact Parker, M. (2000). Human Science as Conspiracy Theory. The Sociological Review, 48(2_suppl), 191-207. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2000.tb03527.x Douglas, K. M., Sutton, R. M., & Cichocka, A. (2017). The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 26(6), 538-542. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721417718261 Tage-gate episode of More of a Comment than a Question: https://moreofacomment.buzzsprout.com/1207223/episodes/5511751-tage-gate
Fri, February 21, 2025
Episode 53: Fraus - II
Broad, W. J., & Wade, N. (1983). Betrayers of the truth. New York : Simon and Schuster. http://archive.org/details/betrayersoftruth00broa Wolfgang Stroebe, Tom Postmes, & Russell Spears. (2012). Scientific Misconduct and the Myth of Self-Correction in Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(6), 670–688. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612460687 Zotero can track if you are citing retractions: https://retractionwatch.com/2019/06/12/want-to-check-for-retractions-in-your-personal-library-and-get-alerts-for-free-now-you-can/ 100% CI blog: The Untold Mystery of Rogue RA https://www.the100.ci/2024/12/18/rogue-ra/ Merton, R. K. (1957). Priorities in Scientific Discovery: A Chapter in the Sociology of Science. American Sociological Review, 22(6), 635–659. https://doi.org/10.2307/2089193 Senior RIKEN scientist involved in stem cell scandal commits suicide https://www.science.org/content/article/senior-riken-scientist-involved-stem-cell-scandal-commits-suicide Kis, A., Tur, E. M., Lakens, D., Vaesen, K., & Houkes, W. (2022). Leaving academia: PhD attrition and unhealthy research environments. PLOS ONE, 17(10), e0274976. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0274976
Fri, February 07, 2025
Episode 52: Fraus - I
Babbage, C. (1830). Reflections on the Decline of Science in England: And on Some of Its Causes. B. Fellowes. Sokal, A. D. (1996). Transgressing the Boundaries: Toward a Transformative Hermeneutics of Quantum Gravity. Social Text, 46/47, 217. https://doi.org/10.2307/466856 Grievance studies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grievance_studies_affair It is legal to own and/or read Mein Kampf in The Netherlands (and Germany). Hand, D. (2007). Deception and dishonesty with data: Fraud in science. Significance, 4(1), 22–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2007.00215.x Gross, C. (2016). Scientific Misconduct. Annual Review of Psychology, 67(Volume 67, 2016), 693–711. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033437 Paolo Macchiarini: https://www.science.org/content/article/macchiarini-guilty-misconduct-whistleblowers-share-blame-new-karolinska-institute The Truth about China’s Cash-for-Publication Policy: https://www.technologyreview.com/2017/07/12/150506/the-truth-about-chinas-cash-for-publication-policy/ Claudine Gay plagiarism: https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2024/01/22/harvard-releases-details-of-claudine-gay-investigation/ Many Co-Authors: https://manycoauthors.org/ Paper describing a replication study where students make up data: Azrin, N. H., Holz, W., Ulrich, R., & Goldiamond, I. (1961). The control of the content of conversation through reinforcement. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 4, 25–30. Francesca Gino defamation case dismissed: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/9/12/judge-dismisses-gino-lawsuit-defamation-charges/ Retractions in Social Influence of the work of Guéguen: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15534510.2024.2431408 , https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15534510.2024.2431415 , https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15534510.2024.2431421 Diederik Stapel’s book: http://nick
S1 E51 · Fri, January 24, 2025
Episode 51: Quinquagesimus - II
In this special two-part celebration, we answer questions submitted by our listeners. Thanks to Don Moore, Leif Nelson, Henry Wyneken, Charlotte Pennington, and Karan Paranganat for the questions featured in this episode. And thank you for joining us for 50 episodes!
S1 E50 · Fri, January 10, 2025
Episode 50: Quinquagesimus - I
In this special two-part celebration, we answer questions submitted by our listeners. Thanks to James Steele, Peder Isager, and Simen Leithe Tajet for the questions featured in this episode. And thank you for joining us for 50 episodes! Shownotes Roger Scruton Quote Borsboom, D., Mellenbergh, G. J., & van Heerden, J. (2003). The theoretical status of latent variables. Psychological Review, 110 (2), 203–219. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.110.2.203 Danermark, B., Ekström, M., & Karlsson, J. C. (2019). Explaining Society: Critical Realism in the Social Sciences (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351017831 Maxwell, J. A., & Mittapalli, K. (2010). Realism as a Stance for Mixed Methods Research. In A. Tashakkori & C. Teddlie, SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods in Social & Behavioral Research (pp. 145–168). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506335193.n6 Vincent, S., & O’Mahoney, J. (2017). Critical realism and qualitative research: An introductory overview (G. Grandy, C. Cassell, & A. L. Cunliffe, Eds.; pp. 201–216). SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526430212 Danermark, B. (2019). Applied interdisciplinary research: A critical realist perspective. Journal of Critical Realism , 18 (4), 368–382. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767430.2019.1644983
Fri, December 13, 2024
Episode 49: Valor Scientiae Psychologicae
You can listen to the podcast More of a Comment Than a Question here: https://moreofacomment.buzzsprout.com/ Our joint episode is a response to the episode ‘Final Final Final Comments’: https://moreofacomment.buzzsprout.com/1207223/episodes/16055645-final-final-final-comments
Fri, December 06, 2024
Prologus 49: We Have to Break Up (R. B. Cialdini)
In preparation for our next episode, a joint recording with our friends from More of a Comment than a Question, we read a paper by Robert Cialdini about the value of social psychology for the general public. Cialdini, R. B. (2009). We Have to Break Up. Perspectives on Psychological Science , 4 (1), 5–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01091.x
Fri, November 29, 2024
Episode 48: Defectum
How I Fail. Blog by Veronika Cheplygina https://veronikach.com/category/how-i-fail/ Arkin, R. (2011). Most Underappreciated: 50 Prominent Social Psychologists Describe Their Most Unloved Work. Oxford University Press. Kerr, N. L. (1998). HARKing: Hypothesizing After the Results are Known. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 2(3), 196–217. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0203_4 Sharpe, D. (2013). Why the resistance to statistical innovations? Bridging the communication gap. Psychological Methods, 18(4), 572–582. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034177 Anti-Creativity Letters episode: https://nulliusinverba.podbean.com/e/prologus-23-the-anticreativity-letters-r-e-nisbett Rouder, J. N., Haaf, J. M., & Snyder, H. K. (2019). Minimizing Mistakes in Psychological Science. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 2(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245918801915 Firestein, S. (2015). Failure: Why Science Is So Successful (First Edition). Oxford University Press. Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.). (2019). My Biggest Research Mistake: Adventures and Misadventures in Psychological Research (1st edition). SAGE Publications, Inc.
S1 E47 · Fri, November 15, 2024
Episode 47: Inductio et Deductio
In this episode, we delve into induction and deduction and talk further about issues related to generalizability. Shownotes Popper, K. The Logic of Scientific Discovery. (1953). Hutchinson & Co. (Originally published in 1935) Yarkoni, T. (2022). The generalizability crisis. Behavioral and Brain Sciences , 45 , e1. Mook, D. G. (1983). In defense of external invalidity. American psychologist, 38( 4), 379-387. Salmon, W. C. (1981). Rational Prediction. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science , 32 (2), 115–125. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjps/32.2.115 Reichenbach, H. (1938) [2006], Experience and Prediction: An Analysis of the Foundations and the Structure of Knowledge , Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Senn, S. (2007). Statistical issues in drug development (2nd ed). John Wiley & Sons. Ernst, M. D. (2004). Permutation Methods: A Basis for Exact Inference. Statistical Science , 19 (4), 676–685. Bacon, F. (1620). Instauratio magna [Novum organum] . London: John Bill. Urbach, P. (1982). Francis Bacon as a Precursor to Popper. The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science , 33 (2), 113–132.
S1 E46 · Fri, November 01, 2024
Episode 46: Invaliditas Externa
In this episode, we discuss the paper "In defense of external invalidity" by Douglas Mook. Shownotes Mook, D. G. (1983). In defense of external invalidity. American Psychologist, 38(4), 379–387. Mook, D. G. (1989). The myth of external validity. Everyday cognition in adulthood and late life, 25-43. The case of Phineas Gage was written up: Harlow, J. M. (1848). Passage of an iron rod through the head. The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal (1828-1851), 39(20)
S1 E46 · Fri, October 25, 2024
Prologus 46: In Defense of External Invalidity (D. G. Mook)
A reading of the paper In Defense of External Invalidty by Douglas G. Mook, which will be discussed in the next episode. Mook, D. G. (1983). In defense of external invalidity. American Psychologist, 38(4), 379–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.38.4.379
S1 E45 · Fri, October 18, 2024
Episode 45: Apprenticiatus
In this episode, we discuss the role of apprenticeship in training scientists and researchers. What’s the difference between traditional apprenticeship and cognitive apprenticeship? Does graduate training live up to its promise as an apprenticeship model? What can we do to improve the modeling of skills that are to be taught during graduate training? Shownotes Collins, A., Brown, J. S., & Holum, A. (1991). Cognitive apprenticeship: Making thinking visible. American educator , 15 (3), 6-11. Gabrys, B. J., & Beltechi, A. (2012). Cognitive apprenticeship: The making of a scientist. In Reshaping doctoral education (pp. 144-155). Routledge. Casadevall, A., & Fang, F. C. (2016). Rigorous science: a how-to guide. MBio, 7(6), 10-1128. Alvesson, M., Gabriel, Y., & Paulsen, R. (2017). Return to meaning: A social science with something to say. Oxford University Press. Polanyi, M. (1958). Personal Knowledge: Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy (M. J. Nye, Ed.). University of Chicago Press.
S1 E44 · Fri, October 04, 2024
Episode 44: Reprehensio Scientiae Aperta
This is a live episode, recorded in Växjö, Sweden (Linnaeus university) on September 24, 2024, at the 5th meeting of the Open Science Community Sweden and the Swedish Reproducibility Network. Thanks to André Kalmendal at Mono ( https://monovaxjo.se ) for recording the episode.
S1 E43 · Fri, September 20, 2024
Episode 43: Historia Casus Methodi Scientifica
In this episode, we discuss the paper "A case history in scientific method" by B. F. Skinner Shownotes Skinner, B. F. (1956). A case history in scientific method. American psychologist, 11(5), 221. Richter, C. P. (1953). Free research versus design research. Science, 118(3056), 91–93. https://archive.org/details/WaldenTwoChapter01
Fri, September 13, 2024
Prologus 43: A Case Study in Scientific Method (Skinner)
In preparation for the next episode, in which we discuss this paper, here is a reading of: Skinner, B. F. (1956). A case history in scientific method. American Psychologist , 11 (5), 221-233.
S1 E42 · Fri, September 06, 2024
Episode 42: Aestimatio Scriptorum
In today’s episode, we discuss critically reading and appraising scientific articles. How do we select which articles to read carefully? Which heuristics are useful for assessing paper quality? And do open science practices actually lead to better quality papers? Enjoy. Shownotes Bacon, F. (1625). Of Studies . PNAS Submissions contributed by NAS members "The contributing member submits the manuscript to PNAS along with the names of at least two experts in the field of the paper who have agreed to review the work and brief comments about why each of those reviewers was chosen." https://www.pnas.org/pb-assets/authors/ifora-1720190309383.pdf How many p-values just below 0.05 should we expect across multiple tests? https://daniellakens.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-probability-of-p-values-as-function.html Lakens, D. (2024). When and How to Deviate From a Preregistration. Collabra: Psychology, 10(1), 117094. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.117094 TIER protocol: https://www.projecttier.org/tier-protocol/protocol-4-0/ Gino fraud investigation and excel meta-data: https://datacolada.org/109 REAPPRAISED checklist: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03959-6 Yang, Z., & Hung, I. W. (2021). Creative thinking facilitates perspective taking. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 120 (2), 278.
S1 E41 · Fri, August 23, 2024
Episode 41: Sodalitates Academicae
In this episode, we talk about academic societies, professional organizations, and academic advocacy groups, focusing primarily on the discipline of psychology. What are their roles and responsibilities? Is it necessary for researchers to join such organizations? And should we bring back scholarly soirees? Enjoy. Shownotes Royal Society Referee Reports Psychological Science APA Divisions Consistori del Gay Saber ReproducibiliTea The Royal Society Soirées
S1 E40 · Fri, August 09, 2024
Episode 40: Tabula de Ethicis Recensionibus
In this episode, we discuss review boards for research with human subjects. Are they necessary? Are they efficient? Are scientists well equipped to make judgements about ethics? And are economists more ethical than psychologists? Shownotes Whitney, S. N. (2015). Balanced ethics review: A guide for institutional review board members. Springer. Schrag, Z. M. (2010). Ethical imperialism: Institutional review boards and the social sciences, 1965–2009. JHU Press. Kinsey Reports Masters & Johnson How Institutional Review Boards can be (and are) Weaponized Against Academic Freedom Weaponizing the IRB 2.0 Psychologists’ Involvement in Torture and the APA . Psychology Today.
S1 E39 · Sat, July 27, 2024
Episode 39: Activismus
In this episode, we discuss activism in science. How do political and personal values affect science? When is activism just part of the job? And should one be careful about activism in the classroom? Enjoy. Shownotes: Frisby, C. L., Redding, R. E., & O’Donohue, W. T. (2023). Ideological and Political Bias in Psychology: An Introduction. In Ideological and Political Bias in Psychology: Nature, Scope, and Solutions (pp. 1-14). Cham: Springer International Publishing. McCaughey, M. (2023). The Trouble with Scholar-Activists . AAUP. McCaughey, M. (2024). Against Scholar Activists. The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. Honeycutt, N., & Jussim, L. (2023). Political bias in the social sciences: A critical, theoretical, and empirical review. Ideological and Political Bias in Psychology: Nature, Scope, and Solutions, 97-146. Sargent, R. M. (2012). From Bacon to Banks: The vision and the realities of pursuing science for the common good. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, 43(1), 82-90. Weber, M. (1946). Science as a Vocation. In Science and the Quest for Reality (pp. 382-394). London: Palgrave Macmillan UK.
S1 E38 · Fri, July 12, 2024
Episode 38 - Replicatio - II
In this episode, we continue our discussion of replications. We talk about how to analyze replication studies, which studies are worth replicating, and what is the status of replications in other scientific disciplines. Shownotes Mack, R. W. (1951). The Need for Replication Research in Sociology. American Sociological Review, 16(1), 93–94. https://doi.org/10.2307/2087978 Smith, N. C. (1970). Replication studies: A neglected aspect of psychological research. American Psychologist, 25(10), 970–975. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0029774 Sidman, M. (1960). Tactics of Scientific Research: Evaluating Experimental Data in Psychology (New edition). Cambridge Center for Behavioral. Ebersole, C. R., Mathur, M. B., Baranski, E., Bart-Plange, D.-J., Buttrick, N. R., Chartier, C. R., Corker, K. S., Corley, M., Hartshorne, J. K., IJzerman, H., Lazarević, L. B., Rabagliati, H., Ropovik, I., Aczel, B., Aeschbach, L. F., Andrighetto, L., Arnal, J. D., Arrow, H., Babincak, P., … Nosek, B. A. (2020). Many Labs 5: Testing Pre-Data-Collection Peer Review as an Intervention to Increase Replicability. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245920958687 Isager, P. M., van Aert, R. C. M., Bahník, Š., Brandt, M. J., DeSoto, K. A., Giner-Sorolla, R., Krueger, J. I., Perugini, M., Ropovik, I., van ’t Veer, A. E., Vranka, M., & Lakens, D. (2023). Deciding what to replicate: A decision model for replication study selection under resource and knowledge constraints. Psychological Methods, 28(2), 438–451. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000438 Aldhous, P. (2011). Journal rejects studies contradicting precognition. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20447-journal-rejects-studies-contradicting-precognition/ Stanley, D. J., & Spence, J. R. (2014). Expectations for Replications: Are Yours Realistic? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9(3), 305–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614528518 Simonsohn, U. (2015). Small telescopes: Detectability and the evaluation of replication results. Psychological Science, 26(5), 559–569. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614567341 Nosek, B.A., Errington, T.M. (2017) Reproducibility in Cancer
S1 E36 · Fri, June 28, 2024
Episode 37: Replicatio - I
In the next two episodes, we will discuss replication studies, which are essential to building reliable scientific knowledge. Shownotes Mack, R. W. (1951). The Need for Replication Research in Sociology. American Sociological Review, 16 (1), 93–94. https://doi.org/10.2307/2087978 Smith, N. C. (1970). Replication studies: A neglected aspect of psychological research. American Psychologist, 25 (10), 970–975. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0029774 Sidman, M. (1960). Tactics of Scientific Research: Evaluating Experimental Data in Psychology (New edition). Cambridge Center for Behavioral. Ebersole, C. R., Mathur, M. B., Baranski, E., Bart-Plange, D.-J., Buttrick, N. R., Chartier, C. R., Corker, K. S., Corley, M., Hartshorne, J. K., IJzerman, H., Lazarević, L. B., Rabagliati, H., Ropovik, I., Aczel, B., Aeschbach, L. F., Andrighetto, L., Arnal, J. D., Arrow, H., Babincak, P., … Nosek, B. A. (2020). Many Labs 5: Testing Pre-Data-Collection Peer Review as an Intervention to Increase Replicability. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245920958687 Isager, P. M., van Aert, R. C. M., Bahník, Š., Brandt, M. J., DeSoto, K. A., Giner-Sorolla, R., Krueger, J. I., Perugini, M., Ropovik, I., van ’t Veer, A. E., Vranka, M., & Lakens, D. (2023). Deciding what to replicate: A decision model for replication study selection under resource and knowledge constraints. Psychological Methods, 28 (2), 438–451. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000438 Aldhous, P. (2011). Journal rejects studies contradicting precognition. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20447-journal-rejects-studies-contradicting-precognition/ Stanley, D. J., & Spence, J. R. (2014). Expectations for Replications: Are Yours Realistic? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 9 (3), 305–318. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614528518 Simonsohn, U. (2015). Small telescopes: Detectability and the evaluation of replication results. Psychological Science, 26(5), 559–569. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614567341
Fri, June 21, 2024
Prologus 37: Replication studies: A neglected aspect of psychological research (N. C. Smith)
Smith, N. C. (1970). Replication studies: A neglected aspect of psychological research. American Psychologist , 25 (10), 970–975. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0029774
S1 E36 · Fri, June 14, 2024
Episode 36: Leges Eponymae
In this episode, we discuss a fun mix of eponymous laws , which are laws named after individuals who postulate them. Shownotes Campbell, D. T. (1979). Assessing the impact of planned social change. Evaluation and Program Planning , 2 (1), 67–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/0149-7189(79)90048-X Merton, R. K. (1995). The Thomas Theorem and the Matthews Effect. Social Forces , 74 (2), 379–422. Stigler, S. M. (1980). Stigler’s Law of Eponymy*. Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences , 39 (1 Series II), 147–157. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2164-0947.1980.tb02775.x Clarke, A. C. (Arthur C. (1962). Profiles of the future: An inquiry into the limits of the possible . New York : Bantam Books. http://archive.org/details/profilesoffuture00clar Brandolini’s Law: Based on a tweet, after reading Kahneman Thinking fast and slow: https://twitter.com/ziobrando/status/289635060758507521 Preston, I. L. (1980). Researchers at the Federal Trade Commission—Peril and Promise. Current Issues and Research in Advertising , 3 (1), 1–15. Twyman’s Law: “The more unusual or interesting the data, the more likely they are to have been the result of an error of one kind or another.” Earliest scholarly reference is in Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A, Vol 138, No 4, 1975. The Teaching of Statistics by A. S. C. Ehrenberg. Bloch, A. (1990). Murphy's law complete: All the reasons why everything goes wrong. Arrow Books Limited.
S1 E35 · Fri, May 31, 2024
Episode 35: Praedictio Clinica Versus Statistica
In this final episode of the three-part series on the Philosophical Psychology lectures by Paul Meehl, we discuss lectures 6-8, which cover the ten obfuscating factors in "soft areas" of psychology and a host of advice Meehl provides for researchers, reviewers, editors, and educators on how to improve practice. Shownotes Krefeld-Schwalb, A., Sugerman, E. R., & Johnson, E. J. (2024). Exposing omitted moderators: Explaining why effect sizes differ in the social sciences. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(12), e2306281121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2306281121 Lakens, D., & Etz, A. J. (2017). Too True to be Bad: When Sets of Studies With Significant and Nonsignificant Findings Are Probably True. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 8(8), 875–881. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617693058
S1 E34 · Fri, May 17, 2024
Episode 34: Aestimatio et Emendatio Theoriarum
In this episode, we continue the discussion of Meehl's Philosophy of Psychology course, focusing on lectures 3 , 4 , and 5 . Shownotes The quote "Don't make a mockery of honest ad-hockery" is probably from Clark Glymour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Glymour Good, I. J. (1965). The Estimation of Probabilities: An Essay on Modern Bayesian Methods. M.I.T. Press. Shepard, R. N. (1987). Toward a universal law of generalization for psychological science. Science, 237(4820), 1317–1323.
Fri, May 10, 2024
Prologus 34: Using scientific methods to resolve questions in the history and philosophy of science (Faust & Meehl)
Faust, D., & Meehl, P. E. (1992). Using scientific methods to resolve questions in the history and philosophy of science: Some illustrations. Behavior Therapy , 23 (2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80381-8
S2 E33 · Fri, May 03, 2024
Episode 33: Risicae Theoreticae et Asterisci Tabulares
Video lectures: https://meehl.umn.edu/video Faust, D., & Meehl, P. E. (1992). Using scientific methods to resolve questions in the history and philosophy of science: Some illustrations. Behavior Therapy, 23(2), 195–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(05)80381-8 Serlin, R. C., & Lapsley, D. K. (1985). Rationality in psychological research: The good-enough principle. American Psychologist, 40(1), 73–83. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.40.1.73 Meehl, P. E. (1990). Appraising and amending theories: The strategy of Lakatosian defense and two principles that warrant it. Psychological Inquiry, 1(2), 108–141. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0102_1 Meehl, P. E. (1992). Cliometric metatheory: The actuarial approach to empirical, history-based philosophy of science. Psychological Reports, 71, 339–467.
Fri, April 26, 2024
Prologus 33: Paul E. Meehl
In advance of the next three episodes discussing the Philosophical Psychology lectures by Paul E. Meehl, we present a brief reading from his autobiography in A history of psychology in autobiography. Meehl, P. E. (1989). Paul E. Meehl. In G. Lindzey (Ed.), A history of psychology in autobiography (Vol. 8, pp. 337–389). Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
S1 E32 · Fri, April 19, 2024
Episode 32: Impartialitas
In this episode, we discuss objectivity and disinterestedness in science. We talk about norms, values, interests, and objectivity in research practice, peer review, and hiring decisions. Is it possible to be completely objective? Is objectivity a feature of epistemic products or epistemic processes? And most importantly, how would you objectively rate this podcast? Shownotes Armstrong, J. S. (1979). Advocacy and objectivity in science. Management Science, 25 (5), 423–428. Declaration of Interest by Stephen Senn: http://senns.uk/Declaration_Interest.htm Djørup, S., & Kappel, K. (2013). The norm of disinterestedness in science; a restorative analysis. SATS, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1515/sats-2013-0009 Elliott, K. C. (2017). A Tapestry of Values: An Introduction to Values in Science. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190260804.001.0001 Feyerabend, Paul. "How to defend society against science." Philosophy: Basic Readings (1975): 261-271. Jamieson, K. H., McNutt, M., Kiermer, V., & Sever, R. (2019). Signaling the trustworthiness of science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(39), 19231–19236. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1913039116 Janack, M. (2002). Dilemmas of objectivity. Social Epistemology, 16(3), 267-281. John, S. (2021). Objectivity in science. Cambridge University Press. Merton, R. K. (1973). The sociology of science: Theoretical and empirical investigations . University of Chicago Press. Mitroff, I. I. (1974). Norms and Counter-Norms in a Select Group of the Apollo Moon Scientists: A Case Study of the Ambivalence of Scientists. American Sociological Review, 39(4), 579–595. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094423 Mitroff, I. I. (1974). The subjective side of science: A philosophical inquiry into the psychology of the Apollo moon scientists (First Edition). Elsevier. A Russian polar researcher has been charged trying to stab a colleague to death at a remote Antarctic base https://www.businessinsider.com/sergey-savitsky-alleged-attempted-murder-at-antarctic-bellingshausen-2018-10 Stamenkovic, P. (2023). Facts and objectivity in science. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews , 1–22.<a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/0308018
S1 E31 · Fri, April 05, 2024
Episode 31: Criticismus
In this episode, we discuss the role of criticism in science. When is criticism constructive as opposed to obsessive? What are the features of fair and useful scientific criticism? And should we explicitly teach junior researchers to both give and accept criticism? Shownotes: Babbage, C. (1830). Reflections on the Decline of Science in England: And on Some of Its Causes. Prasad, Vinay, and John PA Ioannidis. "Constructive and obsessive criticism in science." European journal of clinical investigation 52.11 (2022): e13839. Lakatos, I. (1968, January). Criticism and the methodology of scientific research programmes. In Proceedings of the Aristotelian society (Vol. 69, pp. 149-186). Aristotelian Society, Wiley. LOWI: https://lowi.nl/en/home/ As an independent advisory body it plays a role in the complaints procedure about alleged violations of principles of research integrity. Holcombe, A. O. (2022). Ad hominem rhetoric in scientific psychology. British Journal of Psychology, 113(2), 434–454. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12541 Daniel C. Dennett: I've Been Thinking https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393868050 Phillip Stark textbook chapter on logical fallacies: https://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/reasoning.htm Gelman, A., & Tuerlinckx, F. (2000). Type S error rates for classical and Bayesian single and multiple comparison procedures. Computational Statistics, 15(3), 373–390. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001800000040 Popper, K. R. (1959). The logic of scientific discovery. Routledge. PubPeer: https://pubpeer.com
S1 E30 · Fri, March 22, 2024
Episode 30: Theoria Aedificans - Pars II
In this episode, we continue discussing Dubin’s 8-step method for theory building. We discuss the measurement of theoretical constructs, using logical propositions to make falsifiable predictions from theories, and the importance of specifying boundary conditions. Shownotes Jaccard, J., & Jacoby, J. (2010). Theory Construction and Model-building Skills: A Practical Guide for Social Scientists. Guilford Press. McGuire, W. J. (1973). The yin and yang of progress in social psychology: Seven koan. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 26(3), 446–456. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034345 Simons, D. J., Shoda, Y., & Lindsay, D. S. (2017). Constraints on Generality (COG): A Proposed Addition to All Empirical Papers. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 1123–1128. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617708630 Norm Macdonald: The Professor of Logic Raven Paradox: https://platonicrealms.com/encyclopedia/Hempels-Ravens-Paradox Pavlov, I. (1936). Bequest of Pavlov to the Academic Youth of His Country. Science, 83(2155), 369–370. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.83.2155.369
S1 E29 · Fri, March 08, 2024
Episode 29: Theoria Aedificans - Pars I
In this episode we discussed the 8-step method of theory building proposed by Robin Dubin in his classic 1969 book Theory Building. Shownotes Dubin, R. (1969). Theory building. Free Press. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/160506.html Lynham, S. A. (2002). Quantitative Research and Theory Building: Dubin’s Method. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 4(3), 242–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/15222302004003003 Elms, A. C. (1975). The crisis of confidence in social psychology. American Psychologist, 30(10), 967. Meehl, P. E. (1978). Theoretical Risks and Tabular Asterisks: Sir Karl, Sir Ronald, and the Slow Progress of Soft Psychology. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 46(4), 806–834. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.46.4.806 Swedberg, R. (2014). The art of social theory. Princeton University Press. Ben Wright: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Drake_Wright Yarkoni, T., & Westfall, J. (2017). Choosing Prediction Over Explanation in Psychology: Lessons From Machine Learning. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(6), 1100–1122. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617693393 Isaac, M. G., Koch, S., & Nefdt, R. (2022). Conceptual engineering: A road map to practice. Philosophy Compass, 17(10), e12879. https://doi.org/10.1111/phc3.12879
S1 E28 · Fri, February 23, 2024
Episode 28: Scientia Cumulativa
In this episode, we discuss the barriers to cumulative science, including inconsistent measurement tools, overreliance on single studies, and the large volume of research publications. Can replications, interdisciplinary collaborations, and prospective meta-analyses help us solve this issue? Can AI solve all our problems? And do most scientists treat their theories like toothbrushes? Shownotes Opening quote by George Sarton Sarton, G. (1927). Introduction to the History of Science (Vol. 376). Is Science Cumulative? a Physicist Viewpoint: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-6279-7_10 Psychological Methods. (2009). Special Issue: Multi-Study Methods for Building a Cumulative Psychological Science . Walter Mischel, Becoming a Cumulative Science Dorothy Bishop - Why we need cumulative science (AIMOS) Watkins, J. W. (1984). Science and Skepticism . Princeton University Press.
Fri, February 16, 2024
Prologus 28: Chaos in the Brickyard (B. K. Forscher)
A reading of: Forscher, B. K. (1963). Chaos in the Brickyard. Science , 142 (3590), 339–339. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.142.3590.339
S1 E27 · Fri, February 09, 2024
Episode 27: Vocans Ictus Tuos - Pars II
In today’s episode, we continue our conversation about preregistration. How flexible can we be when we preregister, without increasing flexibility in our analysis? How well do people preregister, and what does a good preregistration look like? And how do we deal with deviations from preregistrations? Shownotes Dubin, R. (1969). Theory building. Free Press. His full quote is: "There is no more devastating commendation that the self-designated theorist makes of the researcher than to label his work purely descriptive". Claesen, A., Gomes, S., Tuerlinckx, F., & Vanpaemel, W. (2021). Comparing dream to reality: An assessment of adherence of the first generation of preregistered studies. Royal Society Open Science, 8(10), 211037. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211037 Akker, O. van den, Bakker, M., Assen, M. A. L. M. van, Pennington, C. R., Verweij, L., Elsherif, M., Claesen, A., Gaillard, S. D. M., Yeung, S. K., Frankenberger, J.-L., Krautter, K., Cockcroft, J. P., Kreuer, K. S., Evans, T. R., Heppel, F., Schoch, S. F., Korbmacher, M., Yamada, Y., Albayrak-Aydemir, N., … Wicherts, J. (2023). The effectiveness of preregistration in psychology: Assessing preregistration strictness and preregistration-study consistency. MetaArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31222/osf.io/h8xjw Sequential analysis and alpha spending functions https://lakens.github.io/statistical_inferences/10-sequential.html Bishop, D. V. M. (2018). Fallibility in Science: Responding to Errors in the Work of Oneself and Others. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 2515245918776632. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245918776632 FDAAA Trial Tracker https://fdaaa.trialstracker.net Ensinck, E., & Lakens, D. (2023). An Inception Cohort Study Quantifying How Many Registered Studies are Published. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5hkjz Quantitude episode on preregistration https://quantitudepod.org/s3e07-in-defense-of-researcher-degrees-of-freedom/ Lakens, D. (2023). When and How to Deviate from a Preregistration. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/ha29k
S1 E26 · Fri, January 26, 2024
Episode 26: Vocans Ictus Tuos - Pars I
In this two part episode we discuss the fine art of preregistration. We go back into the history of preregistration, its evolution, and current use. Do we preregister to control the Type 1 error rate, or to show that we derived our prediction from theory a priori ? Can and should we preregister exploratory or secondary data analysis? And how severe is the issue of severe testing? Shownotes ClinicalTrials.gov You can preregister on AsPredicted and the OSF Johnson, M. (1975). Models of Control and Control of Bias. European Journal of Parapsychology, 36–44. SPIRIT Checklist Bishop, D. V. M. (2018). Fallibility in Science: Responding to Errors in the Work of Oneself and Others. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 1 (3), 432–438. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245918776632 FDA trials tracker: https://fdaaa.trialstracker.net Ensinck, E., & Lakens, D. (2023). An Inception Cohort Study Quantifying How Many Registered Studies are Published. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/5hkjz van den Akker, O. R., van Assen, M. A. L. M., Enting, M., de Jonge, M., Ong, H. H., Rüffer, F., Schoenmakers, M., Stoevenbelt, A. H., Wicherts, J. M., & Bakker, M. (2023). Selective Hypothesis Reporting in Psychology: Comparing Preregistrations and Corresponding Publications. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 6 (3), 25152459231187988. https://doi.org/10.1177/25152459231187988 Claesen, A., Gomes, S., Tuerlinckx, F., & Vanpaemel, W. (2021). Comparing dream to reality: An assessment of adherence of the first generation of preregistered studies. Royal Society Open Science, 8 (10), 211037. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211037 Bakan, D. (1966). The test of significance in psychological research . Psychological Bulletin, 66 (6), 423–437. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0020412 Rosenthal, R. (1966). E xperimenter effects in behavioral research. Appleton-Century-Crofts. Johnson, M. (1975). Models of Control and Control of Bias. European Journal of Parapsychology, 36–44. <li styl
S1 E23 · Fri, January 12, 2024
Episode 25: Reverentia Ad Auctoritatem
In the first episode of 2024, we discuss the double-edged sword: reverence to authority. Should scientists respect others on whose shoulders they stand? Or should they be wary of appeal to authority? How should scientists deal with other sources of authority in science, like for example, the government or academic societies? And how can we differentiate true expertise from mere authority? Enjoy. Shownotes Frank, P. (1956). The role of authority in the interpretation of science. Synthese, 10, 335–338. Barber, B. (1952). Science and the social order . Glencoe, Ill. : Free Press. http://archive.org/details/sciencesocialord0000barb Barber, B. (1961). Resistance by Scientists to Scientific Discovery. Science , 134 (3479), 596–602. Kitcher, P. (1992). Authority, deference, and the role of individual reasoning in science. In E. Mcmullin (Ed.), The social dimensions of science. Notre Dame: The University of Notre Dame Press Polanyi, M. (1962). The republic of science. Minerva , 1 (1), 54–73 The practice of two-spaces after the end of a sentence comes from when type-writers used monospaced typefaces: https://slate.com/technology/2011/01/two-spaces-after-a-period-why-you-should-never-ever-do-it.html
Fri, January 05, 2024
Prologus 25: The Fixation of Belief (C. S. Peirce)
The Fixation of Belief. Charles S. Peirce. Popular Science Monthly 12 (November 1877), 1-15. http://peirce.org/writings/p107.html
S1 E24 · Fri, December 29, 2023
Episode 24: Contra Creativitatem Epistolae - Pars II
In this second installment of The Anticreativity Letters, we continue discussing the Tempter's tactics for stifling creativity and how to overcome them.
S1 E23 · Fri, December 15, 2023
Episode 23: Contra Creativitatem Epistolae - Pars I
In the first of a two-part episode, we discuss The Anticreativity Letters by Richard Nisbett, in which a senior "tempter" advises a junior tempter on ways to prevent a young psychologist from being a productive and creative scientist. Nisbett, R. E. (1990). The anticreativity letters: Advice from a senior tempter to a junior tempter. American Psychologist, 45 (9), 1078–1082. BMJ Christmas issue: https://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-authors/article-types/christmas-issue Quote by Ira Glass: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/309485-nobody-tells-this-to-people-who-are-beginners-i-wish
Fri, December 08, 2023
Prologus 23: The Anticreativity Letters (R. E. Nisbett)
A reading of: Nisbett, R. E. (1990). The anticreativity letters: Advice from a senior tempter to a junior tempter. American Psychologist, 45 (9), 1078–1082. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.45.9.1078
S1 E22 · Fri, December 01, 2023
Episode 22: Magisterium
In today’s episode, we discuss the role of mentorship in academia. What are the characteristics of a good mentor-mentee relationship? What are the qualities of good mentors and good mentees? Does mentorship play a role in the development of scientific knowledge? And could mentors and mentees benefit from couples therapy? Note : D.I.H.C is pronounced 'dick' but this is meant to be a family-friendly podcast :) Shownotes https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-fitness/201303/10-things-your-relationship-needs-thrive Roberts, L. R., Tinari, C. M., & Bandlow, R. (2019). An effective doctoral student mentor wears many hats and asks many questions. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 14 , 133. Sarabipour, S., Niemi, N. M., Burgess, S. J., Smith, C. T., Filho, A. W. B., Ibrahim, A., & Clark, K. (2023). Insights from a survey of mentorship experiences by graduate and postdoctoral researchers (p. 2023.05.05.539640). bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.05.05.539640
S1 E21 · Fri, November 17, 2023
Episode 21: Verifica Sed Confide
In this episode, we discuss the role of trust in science. Why should we verify but trust other scientists? What are the prerequisites for building trust within the scientific community? Who is ultimately responsible for verifying our claims and practices that bolster those claims? And should we give personality tests to everyone who enters academia? Shownotes Hardwig, J. (1991). The role of trust in knowledge. The Journal of Philosophy, 88 (12), 693–708. Hendriks, F., Kienhues, D., Bromme, R. (2016). Trust in Science and the Science of Trust. In: Blöbaum, B. (eds) Trust and Communication in a Digitized World. Progress in IS. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28059-2_8 Strand, J. F. (2023). Error tight: Exercises for lab groups to prevent research mistakes. Psychological Methods, No Pagination Specified-No Pagination Specified. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000547 Duygu Uygun-Tunç : Trust and criticism in science, Part I: Critical rationalism instead of organized skepticism: https://uyguntunc.wordpress.com/2020/10/30/trust-and-criticism-in-science-part-i-critical-rationalism-instead-of-organized-skepticism/ Vazire, S. (2017). Quality Uncertainty Erodes Trust in Science. Collabra: Psychology, 3(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.74 Wicherts, J. M. (2011). Psychology must learn a lesson from fraud case. Nature, 480(7375), Article 7375. https://doi.org/10.1038/480007a Fricker, E. (2002). Trusting others in the sciences: A priori or empirical warrant? Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A, 33(2), 373–383. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0039-3681(02)00006-7
Bonus · Fri, November 10, 2023
Prologus 21: Role of Trust in Knowledge (J. Hardwig)
In advance of our episode Verify but Trust , a reading of John Hardwig's paper The Role of Trust in Science. Hardwig, J. (1991). The role of trust in knowledge. The Journal of Philosophy, 88 (12), 693–708.
S1 E20 · Fri, November 03, 2023
Episode 20: Recensio Aequalium
In today’s episode, we discuss the peer review process---its history, its present, and its future. How does peer review work? How long has it existed in its current form? Should reviews be open and signed? Should reviewers be paid for their hard labor? Should we just abandon the peer review process, or does it have a positive role to play? Shownotes Peer Community in Registered Reports: https://rr.peercommunityin.org/ Suggestion to Darwin to publish a book about pigeons instead of The Origins of Species: https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/DCP-LETT-2457A.xml Baldwin, M. (2018). Scientific Autonomy, Public Accountability, and the Rise of “Peer Review” in the Cold War United States. Isis, 109 (3), 538–558. https://doi.org/10.1086/700070 Burnham, J. C. (1990). The evolution of editorial peer review. JAMA, 263 (10), 1323–1329.
S1 E19 · Fri, October 20, 2023
Episode 19: Quantifauxcation
In this episode, we discuss Quantifauxcation , described by statistician Philip Stark as “situations in which a number is, in effect, made up, and then is given credence merely because it is quantitative.” We give examples of quantifauxcation in psychology, including errors of the third kind. We spend the second half of the podcast discussing how to develop quantitative measures that are meaningful and bridge the divide between qualitative and quantitative observations. Shownotes Statistics textbook by Philip Stark. Stark, P. B. (2022). Pay No attention to the model behind the curtain. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 179 (11), 4121–4145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-022-03137-2 Burgess, E. W. (1927). Statistics and case studies as methods of sociological research, Vol 12(3), 103-120. (Thanks to Andy Grieve!) Nick Brown's role in pointing out flaws in the positivity ratio. Retraction notice of the positivity ratio paper. Blog by Tania Lombrozo on nonsensical formulas in abstracts. Kimball, A. W. (1957). Errors of the third kind in statistical consulting. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 52 (278), 133–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/01621459.1957.10501374 Type III errors: Philip Stark’s post of Deborah Mayo’s blog Brower, D. (1949). The problem of quantification in psychological science. Psychological Review, 56 (6), 325–333. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0061802 Guttman scales Wilson, M. (2023). Constructing measures: An item response modeling approach. Taylor & Francis. Wilson, M., Bathia, S., Morell, L., Gochyyev, P., Koo, B. W., & Smith, R. (2022). Seeking a better balance between efficiency and interpretability: Comp
Bonus · Fri, October 13, 2023
Prologus 19: Problem-Centering vs. Mean-Centering in Science (A. H. Maslow)
In preparation for a discussion on Quantifauxcation , a reading of 'Problem-Centering vs. Means-Centering in Science' by Abraham H. Maslow (1946). Maslow, A. H. (1946). Problem-Centering vs. Means-Centering in Science. Philosophy of Science, 13 (4), 326–331. https://doi.org/10.1086/286907
S1 E18 · Fri, October 06, 2023
Episode 18: Vitia Vocationalis
In today’s episode, we discuss intellectual vices. How can we tell the difference between justified confidence and unjustified arrogance? How do we deal with feelings of envy or negative comparison with other scientists? What is the difference between building one’s career and careerism? And what do we do about scientists who do not care about the truth? Shownotes Azrin, N. H., Holz, W., Ulrich, R., & Goldiamond, I. (1961). The control of the content of conversation through reinforcement. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 4, 25–30. https://doi.org/10.1901/jeab.1961.4-25 Meehl, P. E. (1967). Theory-testing in psychology and physics: A methodological paradox. Philosophy of Science, 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1086/288135 Mitroff, I. I. (1974). Norms and Counter-Norms in a Select Group of the Apollo Moon Scientists: A Case Study of the Ambivalence of Scientists. American Sociological Review, 39(4), 579–595. https://doi.org/10.2307/2094423 Susan Blackmore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susan_Blackmore
S1 E17 · Fri, September 22, 2023
Episode 17: Snobismus
In this episode, we discuss scientific snobbery and the ways in which it affects our interactions with and perceptions of other scientists. What are the reasons for hierarchies among different disciplines, institutions, and approaches to science? What are some ways in which snobbery manifests in science? And is it snobby to not want to present scientific posters? Enjoy. Shownotes: Ego and Math (3Blue1Brown) M. V. Berry; Regular and irregular motion. AIP Conf. Proc. 15 September 1978; 46 (1): 16–120. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.31417
S1 E16 · Fri, September 08, 2023
Episode 16: Vetus Crisi Replicatio
In this episode, we continue our conversation on the replication crisis⏤Which methodological, theoretical, and practical concerns did psychologists raise half a century ago? What has changed, and what remains the same, during the current crisis? Shownotes Orne, M. T. (1962). On the social psychology of the psychological experiment: With particular reference to demand characteristics and their implications. American Psychologist , 17 (11), 776–783. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0043424 Rosenthal, R. (1966). Experimenter effects in behavioral research . Appleton-Century-Crofts. Gergen, K. J. (1973). Social psychology as history. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 26 , 309–320. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034436 Koole, S. L., & Lakens, D. (2012). Rewarding replications: A sure and simple way to improve psychological science. Perspectives on Psychological Science , 7 (6), 608–614. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612462586 Greenwald, A. G. (Ed.). (1976). An editorial. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 33 (1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0078635 Ring, K. (1967). Experimental social psychology: Some sober questions about some frivolous values. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology . Ledgerwood, A., & Sherman, J. W. (2012). Short, sweet, and problematic? The rise of the short report in psychological science. Perspectives on Psychological Science , 7 (1), 60–66. Barber, T. X. (1976). Pitfalls in Human Research: Ten Pivotal Points . Pergamon Press. Dunnette, M. D. (1966). Fads, fashions, and folderol in psychology. American Psychologist , 21 (4), 343–352. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0023535 Babbage, C. (1830). Reflections on the Decline of Science in England: And on Some of Its Causes . B. Fellowes.
Fri, September 01, 2023
Prologus 16: Investigator Data Analysis Effect (T. X. Barber)
Reading of the chapter "Investigator Data Analysis Effect" from the book: Barber, T. X. (1976). Pitfalls in Human Research: Ten Pivotal Points . Pergamon Press.
Fri, August 25, 2023
Episode 15: Novum Crisi Replicati
In this episode, we discuss the replication crisis in psychology which has been an important topic of discussion for the last decade. We revisit some key events from the start of the replication crisis, such as the publication of Daryl Bem's studies on precognition, the paper False Positive Psychology, and the Reproducibility Project and share personal anecdotes about how it was to live through the replication crisis. Shownotes: Bem, D. J. (2011). Feeling the future: Experimental evidence for anomalous retroactive influences on cognition and affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100 (3), 407–425. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021524 Ritchie, S. J., Wiseman, R., & French, C. C. (2012). Failing the Future: Three Unsuccessful Attempts to Replicate Bem’s ‘Retroactive Facilitation of Recall’ Effect. PLOS ONE, 7 (3), Article e33423. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0033423 Simmons, J. P., Nelson, L. D., & Simonsohn, U. (2011). False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant. Psychological Science, 22 (11), 1359–1366. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611417632 John, L. K., Loewenstein, G., & Prelec, D. (2012). Measuring the prevalence of questionable research practices with incentives for truth telling. Psychological Science, 23 (5), 524–532. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797611430953 Fiedler, K., & Schwarz, N. (2016). Questionable Research Practices Revisited. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7(1), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550615612150 NOTE: Daniel says in the podcast the paper below is by Fiedler and Strack - but it is by Fiedler and Schwarz. Ebersole, C. R., Mathur, M. B., Baranski, E., Bart-Plange, D.-J., Buttrick, N. R., Chartier, C. R., Corker, K. S., Corley, M., Hartshorne, J. K., IJzerman, H., Lazarević, L. B., Rabagliati, H., Ropovik, I., Aczel, B., Aeschbach, L. F., Andrighetto, L., Arnal, J. D., Arrow, H., Babincak, P., … Nosek, B. A. (2020). Many Labs 5: Testing Pre-Data-Collection Peer Review as an Intervention to Increase Replicability. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/2515245920958687 Luttrell, A., Petty, R. E., & Xu, M. (2017). Replicating and fixing failed replications: The case of need for cognition and argument quality. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 69 , 178–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.09.006 Simons, D. J., Shoda, Y., & Lindsay, D. S. (2017). Constraints on Generality (COG): A Proposed Addition to All Empirical Papers. P erspectives
S1 E14 · Sun, August 13, 2023
Episode 14: Capax Mentis
In this episode we reflect on the role of intelligence in scientist. How much does intelligence matter in science, and which other characteristics might play a role in doing good science? Do scientist need to be extremely intelligent or can anyone do science? And what is the role of stupidity in science? Capax Mentis roughly translates to "capacity of mind." Smriti stupidly messed up her audio so the quality isn't great. Apologies! Shownotes Schwartz, M. A. (2008). The importance of stupidity in scientific research. Journal of Cell Science, 121 (11), 1771. https://doi.org/10.1242/jcs.033340 Bernal, J. D. (1939). The Social Function Of Science . Routledge. Paul Medawar: Advice to a Young Scientist Feynman talking about the uncomfortable feeling of confusion A good scientist always keeps learning – Nobel Laureate Peter Doherty Flatland (1884) by Edwin Abbott Abbott A zero-order correlation simply refers to the correlation between two variables (i.e., the independent and dependent variable) without controlling for the influence of any other variables. Essentially, this means that a zero-order correlation is the same thing as a Pearson correlation.
Fri, August 04, 2023
Prologus 14: How can I tell if I am cut out to be a scientific research worker? (P. B. Medawar)
As prologue to the next episode on how smart one needs to be to be a scientist, we present a reading of chapter 2 "How can I tell if I am cut out to be a scientific research worker?" by Peter B. Medawar from his 1979 book 'Advice to a young scientist'. Our next episode was inspired by the section "Am I brainy enough to be a scientist?" https://www.google.nl/books/edition/Advice_To_A_Young_Scientist/3fg3DgAAQBAJ
S1 E13 · Fri, July 28, 2023
Episode 13: Chmess
In this episode we discuss Daniel Dennett's distinction between chess, or research worth doing, and 'chmess,' research not worth doing. We discuss ways to determine whether our research is chess or chmess, and how to avoid being sucked into lines of research we don't particularly care about. Shownotes Dennett, D. C. (2006). Higher-order truths about chmess . Topoi, 25 , 39–41. Dunnette, M. D. (1966). Fads, fashions, and folderol in psychology. American Psychologist, 21 (4), 343. Folderol means 'a useless ornament or accessory', and is used to indicate something is 'nonsense'. Dweck, C. S. (2022). Mindsets: From bathtubs to hot beliefs to social change . In Kassin, S. (Ed.) Pillars of Social Psychology: Stories and Retrospectives , 213–219. Cambridge University Press. The Kardashian Index
Fri, July 28, 2023
Prologus 13: Chmess (D. C. Dennett)
As prologue to the next episode on Chmess, we present a reading of a paper by Daniel C. Dennett: Dennett, D. C. (2006). Higher-order truths about chmess . Topoi, 25 , 39–41.
S1 E12 · Fri, July 14, 2023
Episode 12: Virtutes Vocationalis
In today's episode, we discuss vocational virtues⸺scientific principles that should guide the behavior of scientists. We discuss whether we agree with values put forth by numerous scientists, including Ivan Pavlov, Peter Medawar, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Barry Schwartz, among others, and share our own. Correction: At 56:24, Smriti mentions the book This is Biology , which is written by Ernst Mayr, not E.O. Wilson. Shownotes Pavlov, I. (1936). Bequest of Pavlov to the Academic Youth of His Country. Science, 83(2155), 369–370. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.83.2155.369 Schwartz, B. (2022). Science, scholarship, and intellectual virtues: A guide to what higher education should be like. Journal of Moral Education, 51(1), 61-72. Robert T. Pennock: An Instinct for Truth: Curiosity and the Moral Character of Science Merton, R. K. (1942). A Note on Science and Democracy. Journal of Legal and Political Sociology, 1, 115–126. Schwartz, B. (1990). The creation and destruction of value. American Psychologist, 45(1), 7. Paul Medawar: Advice to a Young Scientist Ernst Mayr. This is Biology Santiago Ramón y Cajal : Advice for a Young Investigator Bernal, J. D. (1939). The Social Function Of Science . Routledge. Weber, M. (1917/1958). Science as a Vocation. Daedalus, 87(1), 111–134. E.O. Wilson: Letters to a Young Scientist
Bonus · Fri, July 07, 2023
Prologus 12: Science, Scholarship, and Intellectual Virtues (B.J. Schwartz)
As prologue to the next episode on vocational virtues, we present a reading of a paper by Barry Schwartz: Schwartz, B. (2022). Science, scholarship, and intellectual virtues: A guide to what higher education should be like. Journal of Moral Education, 51 (1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057240.2020.1772211 (Published online: 19 Jun 2020) You can read the paper here . An episode from Smriti's previous podcast with Paul Connor where they discussed the paper with Barry can be found here .
S1 E11 · Fri, June 30, 2023
Episode 11: Inquisitionis Vastum
In this episode, we discuss the topic of research waste. We discuss what it is it that is being wasted and whether we waste fewer scientific resources and talent through coordination, team science, and better planning. Shownotes Bacon, New Atlantis, 1626: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2434/2434-h/2434-h.htm Dennett, D. C. (2006). Higher-order truths about chmess. Topoi, 25(1–2), 39–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11245-006-0005-2 Chalmers, I., & Glasziou, P. (2009). Avoidable waste in the production and reporting of research evidence. The Lancet, 374(9683), 86–89. Mao's Hundred Flowers Campaign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Flowers_Campaign Glasziou, P., & Chalmers, I. (2018). Research waste is still a scandal—An essay by Paul Glasziou and Iain Chalmers. BMJ, 363, k4645. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4645 AltmanDG. The scandal of poor medical research. BMJ 1994;308:283-4. 10.1136/bmj.308.6924.283 8124111 Bernal, J. D. (1939). The Social Function Of Science. Routledge. http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.188098 Duckworth, A. L., & Milkman, K. L. (2022). A guide to megastudies. PNAS Nexus, 1(5), pgac214. https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac214 Almaatouq, A., Griffiths, T. L., Suchow, J., Whiting, M. E., Evans, J., & Watts, D. J. (2022). Beyond Playing 20 Questions with Nature: Integrative Experiment Design in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/anjkm
Fri, June 23, 2023
Prologus 11: The Efficiency of Scientific Research (J.D. Bernal)
In this bonus episode, Daniël reads Chapter 5 of John Desmond Bernal’s book The Social Function of Science , entitled The Efficiency of Scientific Research in preparation of our upcoming podcast episode on research waste. You can read The Social Function of Science by Bernal at the Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.188098
S1 E10 · Fri, June 16, 2023
Episode 10: Probatio Significativitatis Hypothesis Nihili
Shownotes Wilson, E. B. (1923). The Statistical Significance of Experimental Data. Science, 58 (1493), 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.58.1493.93 van Dongen, N. N. N., & van Grootel, L. (2021). Overview on the Null Hypothesis Significance Test. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/hwk4n Stark, P. B., & Saltelli, A. (2018). Cargo‐cult statistics and scientific crisis. Significance, 15 (4), 40-43. Uygun Tunç, D., Tunç, M. N., & Lakens, D. (2023). The epistemic and pragmatic function of dichotomous claims based on statistical hypothesis tests. T heory & Psychology, 09593543231160112. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543231160112 Bakan, D. (1966). The test of significance in psychological research. Psychological Bulletin, 66 (6), 423–437. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0020412 Cohen, J. (1990). Things I have learned (so far). American Psychologist, 45 (12), 1304–1312. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.45.12.1304 Cohen, J. (1994). The earth is round (p merican Psychologist, 49 (12), 997–1003. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.49.12.997 Cohen, J. (1995). The earth is round ( p
S1 E9 · Fri, June 02, 2023
Episode 9: Praeiudicium Publicandi
In this episode, we discuss the issue of publication bias. We discuss issues like: Do we learn anything from null results, given the current state of research practices? Is poorly done research still worth sharing with the scientific community? And how can we move toward a system where null results are informative and worth publishing? Shownotes Bones, A. K. (2012). We Knew the Future All Along Scientific Hypothesizing is Much More Accurate Than Other Forms of Precognition—A Satire in One Part. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7 (3), 307–309. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612441216 Carter, E. C., & McCullough, M. E. (2014). Publication bias and the limited strength model of self-control: Has the evidence for ego depletion been overestimated? Frontiers in Psychology, 5 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00823 Greenwald, A. G. (1975). Consequences of prejudice against the null hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 82 (1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076157 Fidler, F., Singleton Thorn, F., Barnett, A., Kambouris, S., & Kruger, A. (2018). The epistemic importance of establishing the absence of an effect. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 1 (2), 237-244. Pickett, J. T., & Roche, S. P. (2017). Questionable, Objectionable or Criminal? Public Opinion on Data Fraud and Selective Reporting in Science. Science and Engineering Ethics, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9886-2 Scheel, A. M., Schijen, M. R. M. J., & Lakens, D. (2021). An Excess of Positive Results: Comparing the Standard Psychology Literature With Registered Reports. A dvances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 4 (2), 25152459211007468. https://doi.org/10.1177/25152459211007467 Sterling, T. D. (1959). Publication Decisions and Their Possible Effects on Inferences Drawn from Tests of Significance—Or Vice Versa. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 54 (285), 30–34. JSTOR. https://doi.org/10.2307/2282137 The FDA Trial tracker to see which trials have not shared their results: https://fdaaa.trialstracker.net/
S1 E8 · Fri, May 19, 2023
Episode 8: Scientia Cultus Sarcinarum
In this episode, we discuss physicist Richard Feynman’s famous speech ‘Cargo Cult Science,’ which refers to work that has all the affectations of science without the actual application of the scientific method. We also discuss topics like: What is pathological science? How might cargo cult science and pathological be different from pseudo-science? How do we know whether or not we’re in a cargo cult, and what can we do to make sure we're not fooling ourselves? Shownotes Cargo Cult Science (Feynman, 1974) Gergen, K. J. (1973). Social psychology as history. Journal of personality and social psychology , 26 (2), 309–320. Langmuir, I. (1989). Pathological science. Research-Technology Management, 32 (5), 11-17. Sabine Hossenfelder. No one in physics dare say so, but the race to invent new particles is pointless . The Guardian. Young, P. T. (1932). Relative food preferences of the white rat. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 14 (3), 297. Young, P. T. (1941). The experimental analysis of appetite. Psychological Bulletin, 38 (3), 129.
Bonus · Fri, May 12, 2023
Prologus 8: Cargo Cult Science (R.P. Feynman)
In this bonus episode, we present a reading of the famous speech by physicist Richard Feynman on "science that isn't science," Cargo Cult Science , which will be the topic of the next episode. Enjoy.
S1 E7 · Fri, May 05, 2023
Episode 7: Corpora Regulatoria
In this episode we discuss regulatory bodies their influence on the generation and dissemination of knowledge. Should regulatory bodies have the authority to affect the topics and methods of science? Is more highly regulated research actually better? And should we just give up on our own lines of research and become potato researchers? Shownotes Kitcher, P. (2001). Science, truth, and democracy. Oxford University Press. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) Emergence of the NIH DARPA SCORE Lakens, D. (2023). Is my study useless? Why researchers need methodological review boards. Nature, 613 (7942), 9-9. PSA: Legate, N., Ngyuen, T. V., Weinstein, N., Moller, A., Legault, L., Vally, Z., ... & Ogbonnaya, C. E. (2022). A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(22).
S1 E6 · Fri, April 21, 2023
Episode 6: Consentio
In this episode, we discuss the importance of consensus in science, both as means of establishing true knowledge and for determining which research questions might be worth pursuing. We also discuss barriers to reaching consensus and the different frameworks that are currently employed for trying to reach consensus among important stakeholders. Shownotes The Popper quote is from: Popper, K. R. (1959). The logic of scientific discovery . Routledge. The Polanyi quote is from: Polanyi, M. (1950). Freedom in Science. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists , 6 (7), 195–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.1950.11461263 Planck's Principle : A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it. The Many Smiles collaboration: Coles, N. A., et al., (2020). The Many Smiles collaboration: A multi-Lab foundational test of the facial feedback hypothesis. Nature Human Behaviour . https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/cvpuw Paul Meehl's 50 year rule: Meehl, P. E. (1992). Cliometric metatheory: The actuarial approach to empirical, history-based philosophy of science. Psychological Reports , 71 , 339–339. Mulkay, M. (1978). Consensus in science. Social Science Information, 17 (1), 107-122. Deliberative Polling Laudan, L. (1986). Science and values: The aims of science and their role in scientific debate. Univ of California Press.
S1 E5 · Fri, April 07, 2023
Episode 5: Insanabile Scribendi Cacoethes
In this episode, we discuss the insatiable itch to publish, starting with a quote from 1927 by sociologist Clarence Case on the dictum “Publish or perish.” We discuss ways in which individual goals to publish conflict with the broader scientific goal of producing useful knowledge. We also question the assumptions behind the notion that publishing less would be beneficial for science. Shownotes Case, C. M. (1927). Scholarship in sociology. Sociology and Social Research, 12 , 323-340 ( Publish or perish) Phaf, R. H. (2020). Publish less, read more. Theory & Psychology, 30 (2), 263–285. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354319898250 The term " insanabile scribendi cacoethes " comes from: Merton, R. K. (1968). The Matthew effect in science: The reward and communication systems of science are considered. Science, 159 (3810), 56-63.
S1 E4 · Fri, March 24, 2023
Episode 4: Eminentia
In this episode, we discuss the role of eminence in science. What ask questions like: What makes scientists eminent? What role does eminence play in science? Can eminence be spread across scientific teams instead of individuals? And how can we recognize and applaud scientists for their contributions, while avoiding conferring too many benefits on scientists who do become eminent? Shownotes Eminent psychologists of the 20th century Intel - Our rock stars aren't like your rock stars
S1 E3 · Fri, March 10, 2023
Episode 3: Confirmatio Praeiudicia
In our third episode, we discuss confirmation bias, which affects not only how scientists generate and test their own hypotheses, but also how they evaluate the scientific evidence presented by others. We discuss guardrails against confirmation bias that are already in place, and others that could potentially improve scientific practice if adopted. Shownotes Wason, P. C. (1960). On the failure to eliminate hypotheses in a conceptual task. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 12 (3), 129-140. Nickerson, R. S. (1998). Confirmation bias: A ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises. R eview of General Psychology, 2 (2), 175-220. Mellers, B., Hertwig, R., & Kahneman, D. (2001). Do frequency representations eliminate conjunction effects? An exercise in adversarial collaboration. Psychological Science, 12 (4), 269-275. Coles, N. A., March, D. S., Marmolejo-Ramos, F., Larsen, J. T., Arinze, N. C., Ndukaihe, I. L., ... & Liuzza, M. T. (2022). A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the many smiles collaboration. Nature Human Behaviour, 1-12. Dutilh, G., Sarafoglou, A., & Wagenmakers, E. J. (2021). Flexible yet fair: Blinding analyses in experimental psychology. Synthese, 198 (23), 5745-5772. Sarafoglou, A., Hoogeveen, S., & Wagenmakers, E. J. (2023). Comparing analysis blinding with preregistration in the many-analysts religion project. Advances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science, 6 (1), 25152459221128319. Faster-than-light neutrino anomaly
S1 E2 · Fri, March 03, 2023
Episode 2: Scepticismus
In our second episode, we discuss the role of skepticism in science, a topic that relates closely to the title of our podcast. Given that the scientific enterprise is essentially an exercise in organized skepticism, how can we maintain a healthy amount of skepticism while also ensuring that scientists don't slip into cynicism or nihilism? Shownotes Opening quote by Imre Lakatos from Science and Pseudoscience . Hear it from the man himself. Ego depletion Ioannidis, J. P. (2005). Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Medicine, 2 (8), e124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124 Wacholder, S., Chanock, S., Garcia-Closas, M., El Ghormli, L., & Rothman, N. (2004). Assessing the probability that a positive report is false: an approach for molecular epidemiology studies. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 96 (6), 434-442. DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djh075 Quote by Debra Mayo. Original reference: Mayo, D. G. (2018). Statistical inference as severe testing: How to get beyond the statistics wars. Cambridge University Press.
S1 E1 · Fri, February 24, 2023
Episode 1: Motivus
In our first episode, we discuss a quote from the preface to The Instauratio Magna (of which Novum Organum is a part), in which Bacon claims that scientists should be motivated to do science for the betterment of mankind, and not for personal motives like fame, fortune, or even fun. Here is the tweet (by Heidi Seibold) on academia not being aligned with good scientific practices. An unedited transcript of the episode can be found here .
Trailer · Sun, February 19, 2023
Episode 0: Introductio
In this introductory episode, Daniël and Smriti share which podcasts they like, why they are starting their own, and how their connection to each other is also tied to podcasting. They also talk about the theme of the podcast, which is inspired by Francis Bacon’s delineation of the scientific method 400 years ago.
loading...