RETRACTED: Money and Mimicry

Abstract

The following article has been retracted by the Editor and publishers of Psychological Science:

Liu, J. (E.), Vohs, K. D., & Smeesters, D. (2011). Money and mimicry: When being mimicked makes people feel threatened. Psychological Science, 22, 1150–1151. doi: 10.1177/0956797611418348

The retraction follows the results of an investigation into the work of author Dirk Smeesters. The Smeesters Follow-Up Investigation Committee of Erasmus University Rotterdam has determined the following in regard to the retracted article:

The paper indicates that the variable Liking of the confederate consists of two items with α = 0.91, whereas a reconstruction of the data proves that three items were used with α = 0.90.

The authors state that respondents were randomly assigned to the different experimental conditions. However a test of independence of gender with the experimental conditions shows that this is not the case (p < 0.001). In a response, Smeesters acknowledged this observation. The Committee considers this to be a major methodological mistake that can affect the interpretation of the paper referring to Criterion 7: committing imputable inaccuracies when undertaking research. As Smeesters was in charge of data collection the Committee holds him solely responsible. The Committee recommends retraction of this paper. (Smeesters Follow-Up Investigation Committee, 2014, p. 7)

The committee found no blame on the part of Smeesters’s coauthors, who have seen and agreed to this retraction.