Behavioural science is unlikely to change the world without a heterogeneity revolution

Christopher J. Bryan*, Elizabeth Tipton, David S. Yeager

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

69 Scopus citations

Abstract

In the past decade, behavioural science has gained influence in policymaking but suffered a crisis of confidence in the replicability of its findings. Here, we describe a nascent heterogeneity revolution that we believe these twin historical trends have triggered. This revolution will be defined by the recognition that most treatment effects are heterogeneous, so the variation in effect estimates across studies that defines the replication crisis is to be expected as long as heterogeneous effects are studied without a systematic approach to sampling and moderation. When studied systematically, heterogeneity can be leveraged to build more complete theories of causal mechanism that could inform nuanced and dependable guidance to policymakers. We recommend investment in shared research infrastructure to make it feasible to study behavioural interventions in heterogeneous and generalizable samples, and suggest low-cost steps researchers can take immediately to avoid being misled by heterogeneity and begin to learn from it instead.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)980-989
Number of pages10
JournalNature human behaviour
Volume5
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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