A psychologist conducts a highly rigorous study investigating the effectiveness of a new memory-enhancement drug. The study finds no statistically significant difference in recall scores between the drug group and the control group (p>0.05p > 0.05p>0.05). Several prominent journals reject the manuscript, with one editor commenting that 'non-significant findings are not a priority for our readers.'
Which limitation of the peer review process is best illustrated by this scenario?
Institutional bias, where reviewers favor manuscripts from prestigious academic departments over those from lesser-known institutions.
Bias against novelty, where reviewers reject ground-breaking research because it threatens established paradigms or contradicts their own published theories.
Publication bias, where journals show a preference for publishing positive or statistically significant results over studies with null or non-significant findings.
Lack of objectivity, where reviewers allow their personal relationship with the authors to influence their evaluation of the study's methodology.
47 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology How science works. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.