Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

original studies had shown true effects”
the
in Baker 2016).
(quoted
the other hand, Brian Nosek, leader of
On
Open Science Collaboration project,
the
that Gilbert’s “optimistic
responded
is limited by statistical
assessment
encounter disagreements between experts
We
this chapter and Chapter 7.
throughout
recurring question for TOK is what to
A
about it. If someone is not sufficiently
do
in statistics how should they
competent
Nosek’s versus Gilbert’s arguments?
evaluate
authors of a study are the people most
The
familiar with the weaknesses and
closely
to their own findings. Sometimes,
limitations
are the foremost experts in their sub-
they
and may be the first to come across
disciplines,
that undermines their confidence
evidence
the results that propelled their careers.
in
it remains rare for academics to publicly
Yet,
back their work, so replications remain
take
next best way to find out about suspect
the
A timely response to the replication
findings.
is the Loss of Confidence Project: the
issue
organized, institutional platform for
first
to declare a loss of confidence in their
authors
research. The Loss of Confidence project
own
of a voluntary nature and researchers can
is
submit loss of confidence for their own
only
If a researcher has lost confidence
research.
their findings, why not retract the study?
in
loss of confidence a soft alternative to
Is
Retractions are not necessarily
retraction?
journal can also retract a
voluntary—a
replication problem within human sciences
The
and psychology specifically, is an ongoing
generally,
as of 2020 but there is a consensus
controversy
around the view that a significant problem
forming
Some have lamented that the tenor of
exists.
discourse is divisive and antagonistic, and
the
and popular science outlets are accused
newspapers
reporting it with sensational headlines equivalent
of
“Psychology is dead”. Whether we call it a
to
a crisis, a disagreement or an opportunity,
problem,
episode has caused both students and
the
to examine more closely how academic
researchers
is produced in the human sciences,
knowledge
terms of the incentives, institutional structures,
in
and practical constraints within
assumptions
This is something to be welcomed.
academia.
any rate, initiatives such as Retraction
At
and the Loss of Confidence project
Watch
questionable or discarded findings easier
make
track. These initiatives are mechanisms
to
keeping the body of scientific knowledge
for
and up to date. Essentially, they raise
reliable
of professional ethical conduct
questions
transparency, and those issues take us to
and
submission to the project came from
One
Dana Carney, who came to
psychologist
the findings of her 2010 paper on
refute
poses’, co-authored with Amy Cuddy.
‘power
study centred on the idea that adopting a
The
pose could be beneficial in stressful
powerful
Although the pair’s work on
situations.
poses had gained a lot of attention—
power
Cuddy’s associated TED talk remains
and
of the most watched—in 2016 Carney
one
compelled to admit that she no
felt
believed in the conclusions of her
longer
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
misconceptions” (quoted in Baker 2016).
Box 8.4: Destigmatizing loss of confidence
section IV.
original study.
published article on the basis of error or fraud.
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