Volume 2 Issue 11, November 2018

Registered reports present a substantial departure from traditional publishing models with the goal of enhancing the transparency and credibility of the scientific literature. We map the evolving universe of registered reports to assess their growth, implementation and shortcomings at journals across scientific disciplines.

The field of behaviour change suffers from significant fragmentation and poor reporting. Here, we describe two large-scale initiatives — the Human Behaviour Change Project and Science of Behavior Change programme — that aim to introduce complementary systematic and rigorous methods to advance the science of behaviour change.

It is a general principle that we learn from experience, building expectations about the future that then affect perception. A new study focuses on how expectations influence learning about pain and shows that we prioritize information that confirms our prior expectations, leading to a self-perpetuating bias in judging the intensity of pain.

A new study demonstrates a novel research strategy for studying juries, moving inquiry forward more rapidly and efficiently.

Herd and colleagues outline a framework for collaboration between social and population health scientists to better understand how the human microbiome and social environments interact and co-develop.

Bentz et al. estimate the phylogenetic signals of environmental factors and population size on more than 6,000 phylogenetic trees of 46 language families and find that environment influences the evolution of language families beyond neutral drift.

Analyses of transactions in a new monetary system (Sardex community currency) reveal that transaction cycles increase in prevalence over time and that economic activity within these cycles is higher compared to linear transactions through the network.

Despite being a major cultural group, Arabs are relatively neglected in cultural psychology. Going beyond the prevailing East versus West paradigm, this paper suggests that a unique form of interdependence that is self-assertive typifies Arab culture.

Jepma and colleagues provide evidence that prior beliefs about pain influence perceived intensity of pain, and the degree of learning about pain intensity. This finding helps to explain why beliefs are often resistant to updating with experience.

Using a high-throughput experimental design and statistical modelling, the authors show how jurors and lawyers weigh different types of crime and evidence when assessing the guilt of someone accused of a crime.

Smithers et al. find that, although there is some evidence that non-cognitive skills are associated with improved academic, psychosocial and health outcomes, the evidence is weak and heterogeneous. More rigorous research is required in this field.