False-Positive Social Psychology: How Deviations from Preregistrations Affect False-Positive Significance Rates

False-Positive Social Psychology: How Deviations from Preregistrations Affect False-Positive Significance Rates. Terry Cheng, Honors Thesis, UCSB, Mar 14 2022. https://osf.io/2fwz6

Abstract: Numerous solutions have been proposed to address the replication crisis, in which numerous high-profile empirical research studies cannot be replicated by other research teams. One possible explanation is that researchers have the option to adjust their data analyses after viewing the results, inflating false positive rates. One popular solution is study preregistration, the prac-tice of developing the data analysis plan before the data is collected. However, preregistrations only alleviate replication problems if researchers are held accountable to their analysis plans. Across two related studies, we explore the effectiveness of preregistration in its current form. In Study 1, we audit recent preregistered publications from a major psychology journal and observe deviations in 19 of 32 papers. In Study 2, we simulate the effects of generic deviations on the false-positive rate. We find that deviations that run more or more varied tests cause larger changes, tripling the false-positive rate in the most extreme case. We note that auditing preregistrations requires an inconsistent amount of time depending on their length and format, which we suspect contributes to the enforcement issues we observe. We suggest that researchers and journals alike adopt the asPredicted.org template for preregistrations.

Gender threats (vs. assurances) led to emotionality in men (but not women); masculinity threats led to more public discomfort, anger, guilt, & shame & these effects are specific to gender threats, as opposed to being broader social identity threats

The affective consequences of threats to masculinity. Theresa K. Vescio et al. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 97, November 2021, 104195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104195 

Highlights

• Gender threats (vs. assurances) led to emotionality in men (but not women).

• Masculinity threats led to more public discomfort, anger, guilt, and shame and these effects are specific to gender threats, as opposed to being broader social identity threats.

• Men reported less empathy after a social identity threat (versus assurance), both when gender was threatened and generational status was threatened.

Abstract: Three experiments (N = 1083) explored whether masculinity threats (vs. assurances) led to emotions that have been linked to well-being, social connection, and the expression of aggression, including (a) increases in feelings of shame and guilt (Experiment 1) and (b) decreases in perspective-taking and empathy (Experiment 2). In addition, we explored whether masculinity assurances (vs. threats) had a positive effect on men's feelings of pride. To determine whether the affective responses to masculinity threats were unique to gender identity, we replicated the findings in comparison to a second social identity threat (Experiment 3). Consistent with predictions, and replicating prior work, men but not women expressed more public discomfort and anger following a gender threat (vs. assurance), as well as more shame and guilt when their masculinity was threatened than when their masculinity was assured (Experiment 2). Importantly, these affective responses were unique to men experiencing gender threats (Experiment 3). Interestingly, consistent with empathy avoidance predictions, when threatened, men reported lower dispositional levels of other focused empathy (Experiment 2), but these effects were not specific to gender threats (Experiment 3). Findings revealed empathy reductions, but not diminished reports of perspective taking, in threat conditions. No consistent evidence of effects of gender feedback on men's pride (authentic or hubristic) emerged. The implications of findings are discussed.

Keywords: MasculinityGender-threatEmpathyShameGuiltSocial-identity

Homeownership is associated with a lower suicide risk for middle-aged populations, more specifically for married men, unpartnered women, and individuals living without children

Do tenants suffer from status syndrome? Homeownership, norms, and suicide in Belgium. Joan Damiens, Christine Schnor. Demographic Research, vol 46, article 16, pp 453–502, Mar 2022. https://www.demographic-research.org/volumes/vol46/16

Abstract

Background: Death by suicide is particularly high for the middle-aged and for single and/or childless individuals. At the same time, the risk of suicide is higher for tenants than for homeowners. The literature linking housing tenure and suicide according to age, gender, and family configuration is scarce.

Objective: This study examines the varying association between housing tenure and suicide risk according to sex, age (for adults), and household composition.

Methods: We used data from Belgium’s National Register linked to 2001 census data and death certificates. We conducted multinomial logit regression to estimate the mortality relative risk ratios by suicide and by other causes in the population aged 25 to 69 years in 2002, separately by sex.

Results: We find that homeownership was negatively associated with suicide risk for both men and women, before and after controlling for age, housing quality, and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Interacting age and housing tenure, we find that renting is associated with a higher risk of suicide among adults in their 40s and 50s, but not among younger and older adults. Among marital and parental statuses, married men and single women with no children at home present a higher risk of suicide in mid-life when renting, compared to owning.

Conclusions: Homeownership is associated with a lower suicide risk for middle-aged populations, more specifically for married men, unpartnered women, and individuals living without children.

Contribution: Our research provides a better understanding of the role of gender and family norms in the association between housing tenure and suicide mortality.

Keywords: housing tenure, inequalities, life course, mental health, mortality, social norms, socioeconomic disparity, suicide