When both the original study and its failed replication are correct

Feeling observed eliminates the facial-feedback effect

Bibliographic Data

ID6203540
AuthorsTom Noah (0000-0001-9062-7357, Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Yaacov Schul (0000-0002-3301-8835, Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Ruth Mayo (0000-0002-4677-1869, Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Year2018
Volume114
Issue5
Pages657-664
Publication date2018-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/pspa0000121
PMID29672101
OpenAlexW2799327013
LanguageEN
Citations received27
References cited25

This article suggests a theoretically driven explanation for a replication failure of one of the basic findings in psychology: the facial-feedback effect. According to the facial-feedback hypothesis, the facial activity associated with particular emotional expressions can influence people's affective experiences. Recently, a replication attempt of this effect in 17 laboratories around the world failed to find any support for the effect. We hypothesize that the reason for the failure of replication is that the replication protocol deviated from that of the original experiment in a critical factor. In all of the replication studies, participants were alerted that they would be monitored by a video camera, whereas the participants in the original study were not monitored, observed, or recorded. Previous findings indicate that feeling monitored or observed reduces reliance on internal cues in making judgments. Therefore, we hypothesize that recording the participants in the replication experiments reduced their reliance on the facial-feedback. To test the hypothesis, we replicated the facial-feedback experiment in 2 conditions: one with a video-camera and one without it. The results revealed a significant facial-feedback effect in the absence of a camera, which was eliminated in the camera's presence. These findings suggest that minute differences in the experimental protocol might lead to theoretically meaningful changes in the outcomes. In our view, the theoretical and methodological approach advocated by our study changes failed replications from being the "end of the road" regarding entire fields of study into a new road for growth regarding our understanding of human nature. (PsycINFO Database Record

Cognitive psychology · Facial expression · Feeling · Protocol (science) · Replication (statistics) · Video feedback · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Communication · Mental Health Research Topics · Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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