Psychology's replication crisis has been blamed on researcher misconduct and poor statistics. A sweeping 2025 paper by twelve researchers argues the real problem runs far deeper: the theoretical and measurement foundations of quantitative psychology are themselves fundamentally flawed.
Left-brain, right-brain profiles. Learning styles. The Mozart effect. The lizard brain. These ideas shape training programmes, coaching frameworks, and leadership development worldwide. A well-referenced 2021 practitioner article examines nine of the most popular brain-based claims and finds that most of them have no credible neuroscientific support whatsoever.
Mindfulness, gratitude, and nature walks are among the most commonly recommended happiness strategies. A 2023 systematic review finds the evidence behind most of them is based on small, poorly designed studies, and the strength of the case is far weaker than their popularity implies.
Executive coaching is widely used but its causal effectiveness has been difficult to establish. A 2023 meta-analysis restricted to randomised controlled trials only finds a moderate and significant effect, while identifying the coaching relationship as the primary driver of outcomes.
Does leader mindfulness matter? A meta-analysis of 54 samples and 9,400 leaders finds it is associated with better leader wellbeing, stronger relationships, and positive outcomes for followers, with mindfulness interventions showing particular promise for reducing leader stress.
Individual differences research underpins personality assessment, psychometrics, and much of selection science. A 2024 paper identifies four major and largely unrecognised problems with how the field measures what it claims to measure, and the implications are uncomfortable.
Has psychology made empirical progress over the past 66 years? A 2022 analysis of 1,565 articles finds that explained variance has remained constant since the 1950s, and argues that much of what psychology measures may reflect the semantic structure of language rather than genuine empirical discovery.
Your digital footprint may reveal more about your personality than you realise. A 2024 meta-analysis of both human perception and machine learning studies finds meaningful but imperfect accuracy, with humans performing at least as well as algorithms on average.
How reliable are supervisor performance ratings, the standard measure against which all selection tools are validated? A 2024 meta-analysis finds higher reliability than previously estimated overall, but meaningful variation by job type that current practices do not adequately account for.
Work engagement is widely valued but its link to actual performance has not always been rigorously tested. A 2023 meta-analysis of 174 studies finds a consistent and meaningful correlation, with engaged employees demonstrably outperforming their less engaged counterparts.
