Probing the Replicability of Findings in Work and Organizational Psychology Using Multiverse Analysis (PREWOPUMA)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Joachim Hüffmeier
• Subject Area: Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 569028262

In this project, we plan to test the reproducibility and replicability of central findings in Work and Organizational Psychology. Reproducibility is defined as the ability of researchers to obtain the same results when they reanalyze the data of a published study. The replicability of a research finding is defined as the ability of an independent researcher, collecting new data under sufficiently similar conditions as in the original study, to reach similar conclusions. Because there is currently a complete lack of related studies, it is unclear whether and to which extent findings from Work and Organizational Psychology are reproducible and replicable. We will therefore conduct studies that test the reproducibility as well as the replicability of these findings (combined reproducibility and replicability studies). In the context of this project, we will analyze findings from four core areas of Work and Organizational Psychology (building the workforce, managing the workforce, managing differences, and exiting work). To do so, we will re-analyze findings that have been published in pertinent peer-reviewed journals and are based on publicly accessible data sets. If such reproducibility tests are successful, we will study the findings’ replicability by analyzing another publicly available data set using a specific analytical approach, called multiverse analysis. In multiverse analyses, it is possible to vary many factors simultaneously (e.g., the choice of measurement intervals in longitudinal studies or the treatment of missing answers from participants to some survey questions) and to study the impact of these variations on the observed findings. Thus, replication studies that are conducted while using multiverse analyses do not only allow a conclusion whether a finding is replicable or not. They also allow a differentiated description of the conditions under which this finding is or is not replicable. Related studies thereby enable conclusions on the replicability and generalizability of findings. Overall, our project thus aims for conclusions on (a) the reproducibility of central findings in Work and Organizational Psychology, (b) the conditions under which these findings do and do not replicate, and (c) across which conditions these findings are generalizable.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Co-Investigators: Dr. Jens Mazei; Professor Dr. Hannes Zacher
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Cort Rudolph