Ó Fuartháin, Colm (2022) The Point of Replication: Investigating Social Psychologists’ Beliefs on Direct and Conceptual Replication. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.
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Colm O'Fuarthain (S4018958) - Bachelor Thesis.pdf Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
Many believe social psychology to be in crisis due to poor replicability. As a result, a “Reform Movement” has developed that consists of researchers pushing for improved methodological practice. Regarding reform, it can be considered that a spectrum of perspectives exists ranging from “reformer” (desiring regulatory reform) to “challenger” (challenging the reform movement). However, a general understanding of social psychologists’ perspectives on replication and its functions is not well established. This knowledge gap poses a problem for reformers, as the uptake of reform proposals is mostly self-determined by social science researchers. It is also an opportunity for social psychologists to provide feedback that has largely gone unsolicited. In this pilot study, I used quantitative and qualitative means to investigate 77 social psychologists' beliefs about replication. Here, I distinguished two typologies that often dominate replication discussion in social psychology; direct replication and conceptual replication. The descriptive results illustrated strong support for both direct and conceptual replication in social psychology, with conceptual replication receiving higher agreement using 1-100 analogue scales. Furthermore, the contradicting ideas that 1) social psychology is highly context-sensitive and subjective and that 2) objectivity and universalism are fundamental cornerstones of research may both underlie beliefs concerning replication. Our results suggest the need for replication studies to be locally suited to social psychology. Our respondents’ nuanced understanding of replication should encourage reformers to include social psychologists when developing new replication reforms. Future research should build on these exploratory results and investigate other purposes of replication more robustly. Keywords: replication crisis, direct replication, conceptual replication, social psychology
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Supervisor name: | Hoek, J.M. and Schwarzbach, N.R. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Other [Bachelor Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Feb 2022 09:36 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Feb 2022 09:36 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/228 |
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