The majority of empirical articles that we publish use null-hypothesis significance testing. In most cases, researchers rely on P values to establish the scientific or practical significance of their findings. However, statistical significance alone provides very little information that is useful for making inferences about scientific or policy significance. For this reason, we require authors to provide much more information than just P values — in this Editorial, we explain our requirements.

This umbrella review of meta-analytic evidence reveals that previously reported benefits of physical exercise on cognitive function may have been exaggerated. The authors emphasize the importance of obtaining stronger evidence to confirm the causal relationship between regular physical exercise and enhancements in cognitive functioning.

Using a large dataset of human memory for patterns, Liqiang Huang builds an overarching model of mechanisms of spatial working memory.

In a preregistered experiment, participants were randomly assigned to receive information about the endorsement of Joe Biden by the scientific journal Nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that this endorsement affected polarized trust in scientific expertise and caused large reductions in stated trust in Nature among Trump supporters.

This umbrella review of meta-analytic evidence reveals that previously reported benefits of physical exercise on cognitive function may have been exaggerated. The authors emphasize the importance of obtaining stronger evidence to confirm the causal relationship between regular physical exercise and enhancements in cognitive functioning.

Aquino et al. show using human brain recordings that the pre-supplementary motor area encodes an integrated utility signal for each choice option and, subsequently, the decision itself.

Using a large dataset of human memory for patterns, Liqiang Huang builds an overarching model of mechanisms of spatial working memory.

In a preregistered experiment, participants were randomly assigned to receive information about the endorsement of Joe Biden by the scientific journal Nature during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that this endorsement affected polarized trust in scientific expertise and caused large reductions in stated trust in Nature among Trump supporters.

How can we help people tell truth and lies apart? Verschuere et al. find that a simple heuristic that instructs people to use only the level of detail in a message, and nothing else, increases deception detection rates.

Partners are often similar in traits, such as their education and political views, but it is unclear what exactly causes this similarity. Using Mendelian randomization and data on 50,000 partner pairs, the authors show that similarity in different traits can be explained by partner choice, confounding factors and convergence over time.

The majority of empirical articles that we publish use null-hypothesis significance testing. In most cases, researchers rely on P values to establish the scientific or practical significance of their findings. However, statistical significance alone provides very little information that is useful for making inferences about scientific or policy significance. For this reason, we require authors to provide much more information than just P values — in this Editorial, we explain our requirements.

An analysis of 2,500 public-health claims reveals that organizations rarely communicate uncertainties around the benefits of behavioural change. To be ethical, public-health communication should be accurate and transparent.

‘Big team’ science challenges researchers to revisit three issues around authorship: (1) how to define authorship-worthy contributions, (2) how contributions should be documented and (3) how disagreements among large teams of coauthors should be handled. We propose steps that the community can take to resolve these issues.

The ‘makeshift medicine’ framework describes how individuals address healthcare needs when they are unable to access the US healthcare system. The framework is applied to gender-affirming care, the health of people who inject drugs and abortion access. Recommendations for future research, advocacy and policy are made.