Megapod: Why Is There So Much BS in Psychology?

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Nov 27, 2024

In this engaging discussion, Adam Mastroianni, a social psychologist critiquing his field, and Dan Engber, a journalist at The Atlantic, delve into the troubling replication crisis in psychology. They explore how numerous landmark studies have been debunked, questioning the scientific rigor of the discipline. Mastroianni reflects on whether psychology truly teaches us anything, while Engber uncovers a scandal involving academic fraud that has rocked business school psychology. Their insights illuminate the urgent need for reform in psychological research.

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INSIGHT

Replication Crisis Lessons

The replication crisis improved research practices but taught the wrong lesson: focusing on "is it true?" instead of "would it matter if it were true?".
Many non-replicating studies were insignificant to begin with.

ANECDOTE

Big Five vs. Enneagram

The Big Five personality test, a cornerstone of psychology, performed no better than the Enneagram or Myers-Briggs in predicting life outcomes.
This challenges the scientific basis of personality testing.

ANECDOTE

Nudge Effectiveness

A "mega study" on gym attendance tested 53 nudges, with half showing no detectable effect.
Experts couldn't predict which nudges would work, highlighting the limitations of nudge theory.

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In the last decade, several major findings in social psychology have turned out to be hogwash—or, worse, even fraud. This has become widely known as psychology's "replication crisis." Perhaps you have heard of power poses—based on a study finding that subjects reported stronger “feelings of power” after they posed, say, with their hands on their hips for several minutes. But that finding did not replicate. Or perhaps you have heard of ego depletion—the more famous assertion that, when people make a bunch of decisions, it exhausts their ability to make future decisions. Again: did not replicate.

“There’s a thought that’s haunted me for years,” social psychologist Adam Mastroianni has written. “We’re doing all this research in psychology, but are we learning anything? We run these studies and publish these papers, and then what? The stack of papers just gets taller? I’ve never come up with satisfying answers. But now I finally understand why.”

Today’s episode features two interviews. First, I talk to Adam about his big-picture critique of his own field: how psychology too often fails as a science, and what it can do better. Second, we speak with journalist Dan Engber from The Atlantic, who has been reporting on a billowing scandal in psychology that has enveloped several business school stars—and raised important questions about the field. What is psychology for? What would progress in psychology mean? And how can this field—which might be the discipline I follow than any other in academia—become more of a science?

If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.

Host: Derek Thompson

Guests: Adam Mastroianni and Daniel Engber

Producer: Devon Baroldi

Links:

“Is psychology going to Cincinnati?” by Adam Mastroianni

https://www.experimental-history.com/p/is-psychology-going-to-cincinnati

"I’m so sorry for psychology’s loss, whatever it is" by Adam Mastroianni

https://www.experimental-history.com/p/im-so-sorry-for-psychologys-loss#footnote-anchor-3-136506668

“The Business-School Scandal That Just Keeps Getting Bigger” by Daniel Engber

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/01/business-school-fraud-research/680669/

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