The Seven Deadly Sins of Psychology: A Manifesto for Reforming the Culture of Scientific Practice

Chris Chambers

Published by Princeton University Press 2019

The Seven Deadly Sins of Psychology

A Manifesto for Reforming the Culture of Scientific Practice

Chris Chambers
With contributions by: Chris Chambers

https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691192031

Overview
Contents

About this book

Why psychology is in peril as a scientific discipline—and how to save it

Psychological science has made extraordinary discoveries about the human mind, but can we trust everything its practitioners are telling us? In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that a lot of research in psychology is based on weak evidence, questionable practices, and sometimes even fraud. The Seven Deadly Sins of Psychology diagnoses the ills besetting the discipline today and proposes sensible, practical solutions to ensure that it remains a legitimate and reliable science in the years ahead. In this unflinchingly candid manifesto, Chris Chambers shows how practitioners are vulnerable to powerful biases that undercut the scientific method, how they routinely torture data until it produces outcomes that can be published in prestigious journals, and how studies are much less reliable than advertised. Left unchecked, these and other problems threaten the very future of psychology as a science—but help is here.

Author information

Chris Chambers is professor of cognitive neuroscience in the School of Psychology at Cardiff University.

Reviews

“Chris Chambers’s portrait should sit high on the wall of heroes in the movement to reform science.”—Barbara A. Spellman, Nature

“Passionate, provocative, and persuasive, Chambers’ book is filled with information and insights about current practices in psychology—and offers recommendations to enhance transparency and reproducibility.”—Glenn C. Altschuler, Psychology Today

“Psychology: it’s not dead yet. But Chris Chambers makes a stark case for its having engaged in sins that call its validity into question.”—Luna C. M. Centifanti, Times Higher Education

“Superb and exceedingly timely. . . . An impressive achievement.”—Scott O. Lilienfeld and Thomas H. Costello, PsycCRITIQUES

“I applaud Chambers for advocating reform of our science and this book for encouraging me to rethink our discipline. This book should be required reading for all graduate students and, of course, their mentors.”—Dom Massaro, American Journal of Psychology

“An excellent warts-and-all summary of the state of play in modern psychology.”—Dean Burnett, The Guardian

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface To The Paperback Edition Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
CHAPTER 1. The Sin Of Bias Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
CHAPTER 2. The Sin Of Hidden Flexibility Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	22
CHAPTER 3. The Sin Of Unreliability Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	46
CHAPTER 4. The Sin Of Data Hoarding Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	75
CHAPTER 5. The Sin Of Corruptibility Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	96
CHAPTER 6. The Sin Of Internment Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	126
CHAPTER 7. The Sin Of Bean Counting Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	149
CHAPTER 8. Redemption Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	171
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	263