Pre-registration in Developmental Psychology: Advancements and Prospects

Abstract

In recent years, developmental psychologists have made efforts to pursue research with high replicability via open science practices. Pre-registration, which is among these practices, is the focus of this article. The aim of this study was to review how pre-registration is implemented in the developmental psychology area. Our investigation into developmental psychology research from 2020 to 2022 revealed a low prevalence of implementing pre-registration domestically and internationally. As a possible explanation for this, we argue that developmental psychology often features hypothesis-generating studies, as well as hypothesis-discovering studies with a low likelihood of deriving a specific hypothesis from multiple hypotheses. However, hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-discovering studies have their respective pre-registration methods. This article introduces recent practical examples of their implementation. Furthermore, in addressing the limitations of relying solely on pre-registration for achieving highly replicable research, we highlighted the importance of developing theories that guide the identification of specific, plausible hypotheses among multiple alternatives. In conclusion, in the realm of developmental psychology, we propose that pre-registration could become a potent tool to enhance the credibility of hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-exploring studies. Accumulating such studies will be essential to construct and validate theories.