Interdisciplinary

Can an army of babies and dogs rescue psychology from its reproducibility crisis?

AI Insight

Laboratories are collaborating on large-scale research initiatives focused on studies with infants and dogs to address psychology's reproducibility crisis. These coordinated projects aim to improve the rigor and reliability of findings in cognitive science by conducting high-powered, multi-site replication studies. The effort represents a shift toward collaborative science with larger sample sizes and standardized methodologies.


Addressing the reproducibility crisis is critical for establishing which psychological findings are robust and reliable versus which may be statistical artifacts or false positives. This collaborative approach could establish new standards for cognitive research and restore confidence in psychological science findings that inform policy, education, and clinical practice.


Nature, Published online: 03 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01727-x

Labs are teaming up to run a host of huge projects that aim to bring rigour to cognitive science.

Source: Can an army of babies and dogs rescue psychology from its reproducibility crisis?