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Why Replication Is Overrated

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Uljana Feest
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Abstract

Current debates about the replication crisis in psychology take it for granted that direct replication is valuable, largely focusing on its role in uncovering questionable statistical practices. This article takes a broader look at the notion of replication in psychological experiments. It is argued that all experimentation/replication involves individuation judgments and that research in experimental psychology frequently turns on probing the adequacy of such judgments. In this vein, I highlight the ubiquity of conceptual and material questions in research, arguing that replication has its place but is not as central to psychological research as it is sometimes taken to be.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 86 , Issue 5 , December 2019 , pp. 895 - 905
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

†

The author would like to thank audiences in Hannover, Utrecht, and Seattle for helpful feedback. Kevin Elliott has provided insightful comments, which are also gratefully acknowledged.

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