The meaning of a claim is its reproducibility. (27th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: de Ruiter, Jan P.
• Is Part Of: Behavioral and brain sciences. Volume 41(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-07-27
• Subjects: Psychophysiology -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Periodicals; Human behavior -- Periodicals; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; Brain -- Periodicals; 616.89142
• DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X18000602
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-525X

Abstract

Abstract: A scientific claim is a generalization based on a reported statistically significant effect. The reproducibility of that claim is its scientific meaning. Anything not explicitly mentioned in a scientific claim as a limitation of the claim's scope means that it implicitly generalizes over these unmentioned aspects. Hence, so-called "conceptual" replications that differ in these unmentioned aspects from the original study are legitimate, and necessary to test the generalization implied by the original study's claim.