Is the Psychopathic Brain an Artifact of Coding Bias? A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT: Questionable research practices are a well-recognized problem in psychology. Coding bias, or the tendency of review studies to disproportionately cite positive findings from original research, has received comparatively little attention. Coding bias is more likely to occur when original research, such as neuroimaging, includes large numbers of effects, and is most concerning in applied contexts. We evaluated coding bias in reviews of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies of PCL-R psychopathy. We used PRISMA guidelines to locate all relevant original sMRI studies and reviews. The proportion of null-findings cited in reviews was significantly lower than those reported in original research, indicating coding bias. Coding bias was not affected by publication date or review desig

SUBMITTER: Jalava J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8071952 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature