Summit

2025 APS Global Psychological Science Summit · 2025

Further Evidence of Spurious Precision and Accidental Inaccuracy in Published Research Reports

Virtual · October 2025

Poster · Methodology

  • Taylor Stephenson
    James Madison University
  • Laura Paschetag
    James Madison University
  • Jessica Salvatore
    James Madison University

Abstract

We surveyed 295 adults to verify that a common practice (reporting mean age to 1-2 decimal places) is not only falsely precise, but also systematically downward-biased by about 6m.  Age is nearly always reported to the nearest lower whole year, even when participants are just about to have a birthday.

Replication

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