Our paper on the poor replicability of Tolman, Richie & Kalish, 1946 - the famous "Sunburst maze" - is out!
Last author @rmgrieves made a very nice thread about it here:
https://fediscience.org/@rmgrieves/115844897663215766
The article: Tolman's Sunburst Maze 80 Years on: A Meta-Analysis Reveals Poor Replicability and Little Evidence for Shortcutting
I'll just add that this doesn't at all question the #CognitiveMap theory, which is quite strongly supported by diverse lines of evidence - but it shows that one of the elements previously used to support the theory, the ability to choose a shortcut over unexplored space, is not that clearly demonstrated!
Importantly, this also shows that it is crucial to consider papers in their context and to make sure results are consistently replicable before changing them into scientific facts!
PS: I managed to attract Roddy to Mastodon - it would be great to show him we can get at least as much interaction on here as with his similar thread on Bluesky
#SpatialCognition #Neuroscience #Shortcutting #Tolman #Sunburst #ReplicabilityCrisis
"Basically, if you heard about it from Malcolm Gladwell or a TED talk, it’s likely no longer true. From Marshmallows tests to Prisoner experiments, from Depletable Willpower to Wonder Woman poses, our favorite cocktail party tidbits lie in tatters all around us..."
https://jamiewheal.substack.com/p/mdma-and-the-placebo-problem
El Duvelle Neuro
Scott Nelson
George Musser