Claims of sex-dependent effects in the behavioral and brain sciences are infrequently supported by valid statistical comparisons
In a sample of 200 behavioral and brain science papers claiming sex-dependent effects, 24% supplied appropriate statistical evidence supporting the claim.
Open-science resources
- Open access: Free full text (PMC)
- Shared data: Audit data
- Shared data: Supplementary dataset 1
- Shared data: Supplementary dataset 2
- Shared materials: Supplementary analyses
- Preprint: Preprint
- Preprint: Earlier preprint
- Open access: Free full text (PMC)
Resource verification & source notes
- Free full text (PMC): The complete article body was retrieved from the public NCBI PMC JATS endpoint. This confirms free access; reuse permissions depend on the individual article license.
- Audit data: The published availability statement identifies two shared data files. The public repository has both spreadsheets and an HTML analysis supplement.
- Supplementary dataset 1: The article identifies these spreadsheets as the data supporting its findings; the PMC HTML includes this exact download link. The article page and exact link were verified; automated binary retrieval returned a browser check, so the spreadsheet contents were not inspected here.
- Supplementary dataset 2: The article identifies these spreadsheets as the data supporting its findings; the PMC HTML includes this exact download link. The article page and exact link were verified; automated binary retrieval returned a browser check, so the spreadsheet contents were not inspected here.
- Supplementary analyses: Live public OSF file inventory contains: SupplementaryMaterial.html. Downloaded and inspected HTML: figures, tables S1-S13, and analysis descriptions; zero code elements and no source-code download found. Paper claims code sharing, but this file does not verify executable analysis code.
- Preprint: Same five authors in same order; matching analysis of 200 brain/behavioral science articles and sex-dependent claims, reporting appropriate tests in 24%; changed title.
- Earlier preprint: Same five authors in same order; matching analysis of 200 brain/behavioral science articles and sex-dependent claims, reporting appropriate tests in 24%; changed title.
- Free full text (PMC): The complete article body was retrieved from the public NCBI PMC JATS endpoint. This confirms free access; reuse permissions depend on the individual article license.
Publication details
Research themes
Statistical rigorReporting transparency
Author affiliations & identifiers
- Madeline T Olivier: Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322.
- Andrew W Brown: Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205.; Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202. · ORCID 0000-0002-1758-8205
- Simon Chung: Department of Biostatistics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205.; Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202. · ORCID 0000-0003-2349-3779
- Colby J Vorland: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47403. · ORCID 0000-0003-4225-372X
- Donna L Maney: Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322. · ORCID 0000-0002-1006-2358
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