Primbs, M.A., Pennington, C.R., Lakens, D., Silan, M.A.A., Lieck, D.S.N., Forscher, P.S., Buchanan, E.M. and Westwood, S. 2023. Are Small Effects the Indispensable Foundation for a Cumulative Psychological Science? A Reply to Götz et al. (2022). Perspectives on Psychological Science. 18 (2), pp. 508-512. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221100420
| Title | Are Small Effects the Indispensable Foundation for a Cumulative Psychological Science? A Reply to Götz et al. (2022) |
|---|---|
| Type | Journal article |
| Authors | Primbs, M.A., Pennington, C.R., Lakens, D., Silan, M.A.A., Lieck, D.S.N., Forscher, P.S., Buchanan, E.M. and Westwood, S. |
| Abstract | In the January 2022 issue of Perspectives, Götz et al. argued that small effects are “the indispensable foundation for a cumulative psychological science.” They supported their argument by claiming that (a) psychology, like genetics, consists of complex phenomena explained by additive small effects; (b) psychological-research culture rewards large effects, which means small effects are being ignored; and (c) small effects become meaningful at scale and over time. We rebut these claims with three objections: First, the analogy between genetics and psychology is misleading; second, p values are the main currency for publication in psychology, meaning that any biases in the literature are (currently) caused by pressure to publish statistically significant results and not large effects; and third, claims regarding small effects as important and consequential must be supported by empirical evidence or, at least, a falsifiable line of reasoning. If accepted uncritically, we believe the arguments of Götz et al. could be used as a blanket justification for the importance of any and all “small” effects, thereby undermining best practices in effect-size interpretation. We end with guidance on evaluating effect sizes in relative, not absolute, terms. |
| Journal | Perspectives on Psychological Science |
| Journal citation | 18 (2), pp. 508-512 |
| ISSN | 1745-6924 |
| Year | 2023 |
| Publisher | Sage |
| Publisher's version | License CC BY 4.0 File Access Level Open (open metadata and files) |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221100420 |
| PubMed ID | 36126652 |
| Web address (URL) | https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221100420 |
| Publication dates | |
| Published online | 20 Sep 2022 |
| Published in print | 2023 |
| Project | Effect Size Working Group |
| Funder | Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek |