Over the years, experimental findings in Psychology have found their way into public awareness and have become broadly accepted as fact. Some of these findings have later come under scrutiny because of failed efforts to reproduce the results. Examples include well-known studies on self control (the Marshmallow Experiment) and on learning styles. What underlies the “crisis of reproducibility”? Is it just the normal advance of science, where all new findings are tentative? Or are there unique challenges in confirming results in Psychology and other Social Sciences? And what should the public know to maintain a proper balance of trust and skepticism in Social Science findings?
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