The “replication crisis” in the public eye: Germans’ awareness and perceptions of the (ir)reproducibility of scientific research

Abstract

Several meta-analytical attempts to reproduce results of empirical research have failed in recent years, prompting scholars and news media to diagnose a “replication crisis” and voice concerns about science losing public credibility. Others, in contrast, hoped replication efforts could improve public confidence in science. Yet nationally representative evidence backing these concerns or hopes is scarce. We provide such evidence, conducting a secondary analysis of the German “Science Barometer” (“Wissenschaftsbarometer”) survey. We find that most Germans are not aware of the “replication crisis.” In addition, most interpret replication efforts as indicative of scientific quality control and science’s self-correcting nature. However, supporters of the populist right-wing party AfD tend to believe that the “crisis” shows one cannot trust science, perhaps using it as an argument to discredit science. But for the majority of Germans, hopes about reputational benefits of the “replication crisis” for science seem more justified than concerns about detrimental effects.

An anchor in troubled times: Trust in science before and within the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Populist political orientation : (AfD supporters, yes/no).The Science Barometer asks respondents for their preferences among the political parties in Germany. We coded AfD (the populist right-wing party “Alternative for Germany”) versus non-AfD supporters as a binary indication of populist attitudes [ 42 ]. Generally, populist ideas do not only criticize a political establishment, but they may also challenge academic elites, suggesting that scientific knowledge (e.g., about COVID-19) is useless, ideologically biased, and inferior to ordinary people’s common sense [ 43 ].…”

Effectiveness and Moderators of an Internet-Based Mobile-Supported Stress Management Intervention as a Universal Prevention Approach: Randomized Controlled Trial

“…21) significantly exceeding that reported in the overall sample. In regard to the often cited replication crisis in Psychology [15] and other fields [16][17][18], it is crucial to evaluate if these effect sizes can withhold further inspection. Moreover, replicating these studies can help to address their shortcomings and add to the existing literature.…”

Public understanding and attitudes toward science: International surveys of Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom

“…Thus, we can see a clear link between political ideology and public trust in science in the United States and the United Kingdom in recent years. Moreover, the link between conservative political ideology and distrust of science has also been pointed out in a study conducted in Germany (Mede, Schäfer, Ziegler, & Weißkopf, 2020). However, since the influence of political ideology on the attitude toward science in Japan was not evaluated in the survey conducted by the Pew Research Center (2020) and no other similar studies were found, the relationship between the two remains unclear.…”