The Psychological Science Accelerator: Advancing Psychology Through a Distributed Collaborative Network
Authors: Moshontz Hannah , Campbell Lorne , Ebersole Charles R. , IJzerman Hans , Urry Heather L. , Forscher Patrick S. , Grahe Jon E. , McCarthy Randy J. , Musser Erica D. , Antfolk Jan , Castille Christopher M. , Evans Thomas Rhys , Fiedler Susann , Flake Jessica Kay , Forero Diego A. , Janssen Steve M. J. , Keene Justin Robert , Protzko John , Aczel Balazs , Álvarez Solas Sara , Ansari Daniel , Awlia Dana , Baskin Ernest , Batres Carlota , Borras-Guevara Martha Lucia , Brick Cameron , Chandel Priyanka , Chatard Armand , Chopik William J. , Clarance David , Coles Nicholas A. , Corker Katherine S. , Dixson Barnaby James Wyld , Dranseika Vilius , Dunham Yarrow , Fox Nicholas W. , Gardiner Gwendolyn , Garrison S. Mason , Gill Tripat , Hahn Amanda C. , Jaeger Bastian , Kačmár Pavol , Kaminski Gwenaël , Kanske Philipp , Kekecs Zoltan , Kline Melissa , Koehn Monica A. , Kujur Pratibha , Levitan Carmel A. , Miller Jeremy K. , Okan Ceylan , Olsen Jerome , Oviedo-Trespalacios Oscar , Özdoğru Asil Ali , Pande Babita , Parganiha Arti , Parveen Noorshama , Pfuhl Gerit , Pradhan Sraddha , Ropovik Ivan , Rule Nicholas O. , Saunders Blair , Schei Vidar , Schmidt Kathleen , Singh Margaret Messiah , Sirota Miroslav , Steltenpohl Crystal N. , Stieger Stefan , Storage Daniel , Sullivan Gavin Brent , Szabelska Anna , Tamnes Christian K. , Vadillo Miguel A. , Valentova Jaroslava V. , Vanpaemel Wolf , Varella Marco A. C. , Vergauwe Evie , Verschoor Mark , Vianello Michelangelo , Voracek Martin , Williams Glenn P. , Wilson John Paul , Zickfeld Janis H. , Arnal Jack D. , Aydin Burak , Chen Sau-Chin , DeBruine Lisa M. , Fernandez Ana Maria , Horstmann Kai T. , Isager Peder M. , Jones Benedict , Kapucu Aycan , Lin Hause , Mensink Michael C. , Navarrete Gorka , Silan Miguel A. , Chartier Christopher R. 
Published: October 2018

Concerns about the veracity of psychological research have been growing. Many findings in psychological science are based on studies with insufficient statistical power and nonrepresentative samples, or may otherwise be limited to specific, ungeneralizable settings or populations. Crowdsourced research, a type of large-scale collaboration in which one or more research projects are conducted across multiple lab sites, offers a pragmatic solution to these and other current methodological challenges. The Psychological Science Accelerator (PSA) is a distributed network of laboratories designed to enable and support crowdsourced research projects. These projects can focus on novel research questions or replicate prior research in large, diverse samples. The PSA’s mission is to accelerate the accumulation of reliable and generalizable evidence in psychological science. Here, we describe the background, structure, principles, procedures, benefits, and challenges of the PSA. In contrast to other crowdsourced research networks, the PSA is ongoing (as opposed to time limited), efficient (in that structures and principles are reused for different projects), decentralized, diverse (in both subjects and researchers), and inclusive (of proposals, contributions, and other relevant input from anyone inside or outside the network). The PSA and other approaches to crowdsourced psychological science will advance understanding of mental processes and behaviors by enabling rigorous research and systematic examination of its generalizability.