Mercer Times

On November 17, 2023, Jarret Crawford, a psychology professor at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), addressed a pressing issue in his field during a presentation titled “What’s wrong with psychology?” He posed this question to colleagues from various departments, drawing parallels between his personal transition from Catholicism to atheism and his growing skepticism towards psychology due to "the replication crisis."

Crawford explained that the replication crisis stems from the frequent inability of psychologists to replicate their research. This issue is often linked to "p-hacking," where researchers manipulate data to achieve statistically significant results that are not genuinely reflective of reality.

He attributed this problem to the pressure on psychologists to publish significant findings as part of their career advancement. Studies that do not reveal new insights are often undervalued, leading researchers to skew data for publication purposes. Consequently, when other psychologists attempt to replicate these studies, they often obtain different outcomes.

Despite the serious nature of the topic, Crawford maintained an optimistic tone during his presentation by using engaging visuals and offering solutions. He highlighted resources like the Center for Open Science's OSF website, which allows scientists to register studies and share research openly. This platform aims to rebuild trust within the scientific community by encouraging transparency regardless of study results.

In his teaching approach, Crawford emphasizes awareness of the replication crisis among students. Instead of solely focusing on potentially flawed theories or studies, he involves students in replicating existing research to assess its validity.

Crawford expressed a desire for broader discussions about these issues within academia: “I don’t expect everyone to drop everything and focus solely on it, but I do want to encourage other faculty and students to discuss the warts in the field and be more critical of received wisdom.” He also hopes colleagues from other disciplines will examine whether similar questionable practices exist in their fields.