On the (non) persuasive power of a brain image

Psychon Bull Rev. 2013 Aug;20(4):720-5. doi: 10.3758/s13423-013-0391-6.

Abstract

The persuasive power of brain images has captivated scholars in many disciplines. Like others, we too were intrigued by the finding that a brain image makes accompanying information more credible (McCabe & Castel in Cognition 107:343-352, 2008). But when our attempts to build on this effect failed, we instead ran a series of systematic replications of the original study-comprising 10 experiments and nearly 2,000 subjects. When we combined the original data with ours in a meta-analysis, we arrived at a more precise estimate of the effect, determining that a brain image exerted little to no influence. The persistent meme of the influential brain image should be viewed with a critical eye.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomedical Research / standards*
  • Brain / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Neuroimaging / statistics & numerical data*