Les pratiques de recherche ouvertes en psychologie

Cet article vise à offrir une vision d’ensemble des récentes évolutions des pratiques de recherche en psychologie. Un rappel des différents symptômes de la crise de la réplicabilité (et de confiance) ayant affecté la psychologie sera suivi par une discussion approfondie et nuancée des facteurs responsables de cette situation. Il s’agira ensuite, en s’appuyant sur des illustrations et des ressources, de démontrer le rôle crucial des pratiques de recherche ouvertes comme moyen de résoudre ces difficultés. La connaissance et l’adoption de ces pratiques de recherche popularisées par le mouvement de la science ouverte sont indispensables afin de contribuer, via la transparence et l’ouverture, à l’effort collectif d’amélioration de la fiabilité et de la réplicabilité des résultats en psychologie.

Polarities influence implicit associations between colour and emotion

Colours are linked to emotional concepts. Research on the effect of red in particular has been extensive, and evidence shows that positive as well as negative associations can be salient in different contexts. In this paper, we investigate the impact of the contextual factor of polarity. According to the polarity-correspondence principle, negative and positive category poles are assigned to the binary response categories (here positive vs. negative valence) and the perceptual dimension (green vs. red) in a discrimination task. Response facilitation occurs only where the conceptual category (valence) and the perceptual feature (colour) share the same pole (i.e., where both are plus or both are minus). We asked participants (n = 140) to classify the valence of green and red words within two types of blocks: (a) where all words were of the same colour (monochromatic conditions) providing no opposition in the perceptual dimension, and (b) where red and green words were randomly mixed (mixed-colour conditions). Our results show that red facilitates responses to negative words when the colour green is present (mixed-colour conditions) but not when it is absent (monochromatic conditions). This is in line with the polarity-correspondence principle, but colour-specific valence-affect associations contribute to the found effects.

On Attenuated Interactions, Measurement Error, and Statistical Power: Guidelines for Social and Personality Psychologists

The replication crisis has seen increased focus on best practice techniques to improve the reliability of scientific findings. What remains elusive to many researchers and is frequently misunderstood is that predictions involving interactions dramatically affect the calculation of statistical power. Using recent papers published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB), we illustrate the pitfalls of improper power estimations in studies where attenuated interactions are predicted. Our investigation shows why even a programmatic series of six studies employing 2 × 2 designs, with samples exceeding N = 500, can be woefully underpowered to detect genuine effects. We also highlight the importance of accounting for error-prone measures when estimating effect sizes and calculating power, explaining why even positive results can mislead when power is low. We then provide five guidelines for researchers to avoid these pitfalls, including cautioning against the heuristic that a series of underpowered studies approximates the credibility of one well-powered study.

Processing the Word Red and Intellectual Performance: Four Replication Attempts

Colors convey meaning and can impair intellectual performance in achievement situations. Even the processing of color words can exert similar detrimental effects. In four experiments, we tried to replicate previous findings regarding the processing of the word “red” (as compared to a control color) on cognitive test scores. Experiments 1 and 2 (Ns = 69 and 104) are direct replications of Lichtenfeld, Maier, Elliot, and Pekrun (2009). Both experiments failed to uncover a red color effect on verbal reasoning scores among high school students and undergraduates (Cohen’s d = 0.04 and –0.23). Experiments 3 and 4 (N = 103 and 1,149) failed to identify an effect of processing red on general knowledge test scores (Cohen’sd = 0.19) and 0.01) among undergraduates and adults. Together, these results do not corroborate the assumption that processing the word red impairs intellectual performance.

Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Red on Perceived Attractiveness

We conducted meta-analyses of studies that test the red-romance hypothesis, which is that the color red enhances heterosexual attraction in romantic contexts. For men rating women, we found a small, statistically significant effect ( d = 0.26 [0.12, 0.40], p = .0004, N = 2,961), with substantial heterogeneity, Q(44) = 172.5, pQ < .0001, I2 = 89% [82, 94], and equivocal results regarding the possibility of upward bias in the estimate. For women rating men, we found a very small effect ( d = 0.13 [0.01, 0.25], p = .03, N = 2,739), with substantial heterogeneity, Q(35) = 73.0, pQ = .0002, I2 = 53% [33, 80], and evidence of upward bias in the estimate. Moderator analyses suggest effect sizes may have declined over time (both genders), may be largest when an original shade of red is used (men only), and may be smaller in preregistered studies (women only). We present contrasting interpretations and suggestions for future research.

Predicting Context-dependent Cross-modal Associations with Dimension-specific Polarity Attributions. Part 2: Red and Valence

Although context effects have repeatedly been demonstrated, it remains difficult to predict how context features influence the associative meaning of concepts. In a recent series of Experiments (see Part 1, Schietecat, Lakens, IJsselsteijn, & de Kort, 2018), we proposed and tested the dimension-specificity hypothesis for understanding and predicting context-dependent cross-modal associations between saturation, brightness, and aggression. In the current manuscript, Part 2, we aim to further test the dimension-specificity hypothesis by predicting the context-dependency of the meaning of the color red observed in the literature. The results of a series of five experiments revealed that the associations between red and valence could be predicted based on the activated dimensions of meaning (i.e., the evaluation or activity dimension) through the opposing concepts in the task. In the context of green, red was associated with negativity, whereas in context of blue, red was mostly associated with activity. Therefore, red was related to both aggression (a negative concept) and enthusiasm (a positive concept), depending on the context.

Displaying Red and Black on a First Date: A Field Study Using the "First Dates" Television Series

Previous research has shown that displaying the color red can increase attractiveness. As a result, women display red more often when expecting to meet more attractive men in a laboratory context. Here, we carried out a field study by analyzing 546 daters from the "First Dates" television series. Each participant was filmed in a pre-date interview and during a real first date, allowing direct comparison of the clothing worn by each person in these two contexts. Analysis of ratings of the amount of red displayed showed that both men and women wore more red clothing during their dates. This pattern was even stronger for black clothing, while the amount of blue clothing did not differ across the two contexts. Our results provide the first real-world demonstration that people display more red and black clothing when meeting a possible mate for the first time, perhaps seeking to increase their attractiveness and/or reveal their intentions to potential partners.