From strong exceptions to parameter spaces: A précis to the special issue on meta-analyses in economic psychology

Meta-analysis is a valuable tool for synthesizing empirical findings across studies, particularly in light of weak or contradicting findings. However, applying meta-analysis in economic psychology and behavioral economics presents unique challenges, partly due to the fact that these two disciplines have originated from studies demonstrating strong contradictions to rationality and rationality-based models. The counter-examples themselves are often reliable when using the original study parameters (e.g., same payoff structure as those of the original studies). However, in meta-analyses seeking to broaden the breadth across different parameters, the presence of a plethora of studies using the same or similar parameters, may lead to an implicit selection bias that is difficult to characterize and control for. This article discusses this challenge and potential solutions and presents the articles in the special issue on meta-analyses in economic psychology.