Psychology’s Replication Crisis as Scientific Opportunity: A Précis for Policymakers

Psychological science is in the midst of what has been referred to as a “replication crisis.” The realization that many individual findings do not replicate in new studies has led to questioning the scientific method and the integrity of psychological science. We review the history of the replication crisis, and its positive and negative effects. Most of the elements of the replication crisis are re-emergent issues that methodologists have studied in the past, but to which researchers have become increasingly sensitized. Ultimately, we argue the value of the replication crisis, in that it has led to positive self-examination within our science and to the development of new and innovative methodology. The field is emerging from the replication crisis with a realization of the importance of multiple replication efforts, and an improved ethic of openness and transparency in the conduct of research