Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessDecision Sciences
Robert M. Kaplan, Veronica L. Irvin · 2015 · PLoS ONE
BACKGROUND: We explore whether the number of null results in large National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded trials has increased over time. METHODS: We identified all large NHLBI supported RCTs between 1970 and 2012 evaluating drugs or dietary supplements for the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular disease. Trials were included if direct costs >$500,000/year, participants were adult humans, and the primary outcome was cardiovascular risk, disease or death. The 55 trials meeting these criteria were coded for whether they were published prior to or after the year 2000, wheth
View details →DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132382Cited by 378 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics and Astronomy
P. Agnes, T. Alexander, A. Alton et al. · 2015 · Physics Letters B
We report the first results of DarkSide-50, a direct search for dark matter operating in the underground Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) and searching for the rare nuclear recoils possibly induced by weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). The dark matter detector is a Liquid Argon Time Projection Chamber with a ( 46.4 ± 0.7 ) kg active mass, operated inside a 30 t organic liquid scintillator neutron veto, which is in turn installed at the center of a 1 kt water Cherenkov veto for the residual flux of cosmic rays. We report here the null results of a dark matter search for a (
View details →DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2015.03.012Cited by 281 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics and Astronomy
C. Abel, N. J. Ayres, Ban, Giles et al. · 2017 · Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)
We report on a search for ultralow-mass axionlike dark matter by analyzing the ratio of the spin-precession frequencies of stored ultracold neutrons and 199Hg atoms for an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment of the neutron and an axion-wind spin-precession effect. No signal consistent with dark matter is observed for the axion mass range 10â24â¤maâ¤10â17 eV. Our null result sets the first laboratory constraints on the coupling of axion dark matter to gluons, which improve on astrophysical limits by up to 3 orders of magnitude, and also improves on previous laboratory constra
View details →DOI: 10.3929/ethz-b-000217066Cited by 201 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics and Astronomy
C. Abel, N. J. Ayres, G. Ban et al. · 2017 · Physical Review X
We report on a search for ultralow-mass axionlike dark matter by analyzing the ratio of the spinprecession frequencies of stored ultracold neutrons and 199 Hg atoms for an axion-induced oscillating electric dipole moment of the neutron and an axion-wind spin-precession effect. No signal consistent with dark matter is observed for the axion mass range 10 -24 m a 10 -17 eV. Our null result sets the first laboratory constraints on the coupling of axion dark matter to gluons, which improve on astrophysical limits by up to 3 orders of magnitude, and also improves on previous laboratory constraints
View details →DOI: 10.1103/physrevx.7.041034Cited by 171 Replication FailureOpen accessMedicine
Kristen P. Lindgren, Reínout W. Wiers, Bethany A. Teachman et al. · 2015 · PLoS ONE
There is preliminary evidence that approach avoid training can shift implicit alcohol associations and improve treatment outcomes. We sought to replicate and extend those findings in US undergraduate social drinkers (Study 1) and at-risk drinkers (Study 2). Three adaptations of the approach avoid task (AAT) were tested. The first adaptation - the approach avoid training - was a replication and targeted implicit alcohol approach associations. The remaining two adaptations - the general identity and personalized identity trainings - targeted implicit drinking identity associations, which are rob
View details →DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134642Cited by 69 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology
Carine Meslot, Aurélie Gauchet, B. Allenet et al. · 2016 · Frontiers in Psychology
Interventions to assist individuals in initiating and maintaining regular participation in physical activity are not always effective. Psychological and behavioural theories advocate the importance of both motivation and volition in interventions to change health behaviour. Interventions adopting self-regulation strategies that foster motivational and volitional components may, therefore, have utility in promoting regular physical activity participation. We tested the efficacy of an intervention adopting motivational (mental simulation) and volitional (implementation intentions) components to
View details →DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01789Cited by 67 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Rink Hoekstra, Rei Monden, Don van Ravenzwaaij et al. · 2018 · PLoS ONE
Efficient medical progress requires that we know when a treatment effect is absent. We considered all 207 Original Articles published in the 2015 volume of the New England Journal of Medicine and found that 45 (21.7%) reported a null result for at least one of the primary outcome measures. Unfortunately, standard statistical analyses are unable to quantify the degree to which these null results actually support the null hypothesis. Such quantification is possible, however, by conducting a Bayesian hypothesis test. Here we reanalyzed a subset of 43 null results from 36 articles using a default
View details →DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195474Cited by 56 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessSocial Sciences
Stewart Kettle, Marco Hernandez, Mike Sanders et al. · 2017 · Behavioral Sciences
We report results from a large online randomised tax experiment in Guatemala. The trial involves short messages and choices presented to taxpayers as part of a CAPTCHA pop-up window immediately before they file a tax return, with the aim of priming honest declarations. In total our sample includes 627,242 taxpayers and 3,232,430 tax declarations made over four months. Treatments include: honesty declaration; information about public goods; information about penalties for dishonesty, questions allowing a taxpayer to choose which public good they think tax money should be spent on; or questions
View details →DOI: 10.3390/bs7020028Cited by 51 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics and Astronomy
K. Masuda, Joshua N. Winn · 2017 · The Astronomical Journal
Abstract We revisit the null result of the Hubble Space Telescope search for transiting planets in the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, in the light of improved knowledge of planet occurrence from the Kepler mission. Gilliland and co-workers…
View details →DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aa647cCited by 37 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessDecision Sciences
Felix Chopra, Ingar Haaland, Christopher Roth et al. · 2023 · The Economic Journal
Abstract We examine how the evaluation of research studies in economics depends on whether a study yielded a null result. Studies with null results are perceived to be less publishable, of lower quality, less important and less precisely…
View details →DOI: 10.1093/ej/uead060Cited by 31 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine
Meghan A. Baker, Bethany Baer, Martin Kulldorff et al. · 2019 · PLoS Medicine
BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease is an acute vasculitis that primarily affects children younger than 5 years of age. Its etiology is unknown. The United States Vaccine Safety Datalink conducted postlicensure safety surveillance for 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), comparing the risk of Kawasaki disease within 28 days of PCV13 vaccination with the historical risk after 7-valent PCV (PCV7) vaccination and using chart-validation. A relative risk (RR) of 2.38 (95% CI 0.92-6.38) was found. Concurrently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a postlicensure safety review that
View details →DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002844Cited by 27 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics and Astronomy
Zhi-zhong Xing, Zhen-hua Zhao, Ye-Ling Zhou · 2015 · The European Physical Journal C
The Majorana nature of massive neutrinos will be crucially probed in the next-generation experiments of the neutrinoless double-beta ( $$0\nu 2\beta $$ ) decay. The effective mass term of this process, $$\langle m\rangle _{ee}$$ , may be contaminated by new physics. So how to interpret a discovery or null result of the $$0\nu 2\beta $$ decay in the foreseeable future is highly nontrivial. In this paper we introduce a novel three-dimensional description of $$|\langle m\rangle _{ee}|$$ , which allows us to see its sensitivity to the lightest neutrino mass and two Majorana phases in a transparent
View details →DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-015-3656-6Cited by 26 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology
Marlou Poppelaars, Anna Lichtwarck‐Aschoff, Roy Otten et al. · 2021 · Frontiers in Psychology
Depressive symptoms and disorders are major public health concerns, affecting many adolescents and young adults. Despite extensive research, depression prevention programs for youth show limited effectiveness. Moreover, the maximal potential of youth psychotherapy — on which depression prevention programs are based — may have been reached. Commercial video games may offer an engaging alternative vehicle for youth to practice emotional and social skills vital to mental health. The current study investigated the potential for the commercial video game Journey to prevent the exacerbation of depre
View details →DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575962Cited by 24 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPsychology
Mark A. Straccia, Adam R. Teed, Perri L. Katzman et al. · 2021 · Psychological Medicine
BACKGROUND: Although potential links between oxytocin (OT), vasopressin (AVP), and social cognition are well-grounded theoretically, most studies have included all male samples, and few have demonstrated consistent effects of either neuropeptide on mentalizing (i.e. understanding the mental states of others). To understand the potential of either neuropeptide as a pharmacological treatment for individuals with impairments in social cognition, it is important to demonstrate the beneficial effects of OT and AVP on mentalizing in healthy individuals. METHODS: = 186) of healthy individuals, we exa
View details →DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721004104Cited by 22 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessNeuroscience
Ellen Bialystok · 2020 · Journal of Multilingual Theories and Practices
The controversy over whether bilingualism has consequences for mind and brain shows no sign of abating. A steady stream of research reporting both positive results supporting the claim for beneficial effects of bilingualism and null…
View details →DOI: 10.1558/jmtp.17104Cited by 20 Negative / Null Result Report
Daniel Angerhausen, Amedeo Balbi, Andjelka B. Kovačević et al. · 2025 · The Astronomical Journal
Abstract Future telescopes will survey temperate, terrestrial exoplanets to estimate the frequency of habitable ( η Hab ) or inhabited ( η Life ) planets. This study aims to determine the minimum number of planets ( N ) required to draw…
View details →DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/adb96dCited by 4 Negative / Null Result Report
Gemma Massetti, Carlotta Lega, Zaira Cattaneo et al. · 2022 · Brain Sciences
Humans are the only species capable of experiencing pleasure from esthetic stimuli, such as art and music. Neuroimaging evidence suggests that the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a critical role in esthetic judgments,…
View details →DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040467Cited by 1 Negative / Null Result Report
Nathan Rapport · 2022 · Physics Essays
Here we review Michelson‐Morley's original analysis of their interferometer experiment and discuss its use of optical distance. We derive a formula for transverse Doppler shift from geometric considerations, apply this to the…
View details →DOI: 10.4006/0836-1398-35.4.326Cited by 1 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessComputer Science
Bibhabasu De · 2025 · arXiv
The Direct Detection~(DD) experiments are vital for probing the particle nature of Dark Matter~(DM). However, in the absence of a scattering event, DD searches result in stringent bounds on the corresponding parameter space. The paper has considered a $U(1)_{L_μ-L_τ}$-extension of the Standard Model~(SM) and augmented the particle spectrum with $SU(2)_L$-singlet vector-like leptons and scalars. A discrete $Z_2$ symmetry stabilizes the lightest SM-singlet vector-like lepton as the viable DM candidate. In the proposed model, amplitude-level cancellation can be achieved for both DM-electron and D
Negative / Null Result Report
Sidhu DM, Pexman PM · 2022 · Preprint
Sound symbolism is the phenomenon by which certain kinds of phonemes are associated with perceptual and/or semantic properties. In this paper we explored size sound symbolism (i.e., the mil/mal effect) in which high-front vowels (e.g.,…
View details →DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/px4yh Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics
M. Gillon, B. -O. Demory, C. Lovis et al. · 2017 · arXiv
Short-period super-Earths and Neptunes are now known to be very frequent around solar-type stars. Improving our understanding of these mysterious planets requires the detection of a significant sample of objects suitable for detailed characterization. Searching for the transits of the low-mass planets detected by Doppler surveys is a straightforward way to achieve this goal. Indeed, Doppler surveys target the most nearby main-sequence stars, they regularly detect close-in low-mass planets with significant transit probability, and their radial velocity data constrain strongly the ephemeris of p
Negative / Null Result Report
Hajra S · 2024 · Preprint
In this article, we have rationally analyzed the null result of the Michelson-Morley experiment, along with the unique observation that all electrodynamic phenomena, whether terrestrial, solar, or astral, are independent of the motion of…
View details →DOI: 10.32388/rfu29h Negative / Null Result Report
Nees MA, Geiss H · 2025 · Preprint
An experiment used a nudge intervention modeled after the question-behavior effect (QBE) in an attempt to reduce speed propensity in a video simulated driving task. Participants viewed a vignette simulating a vehicle start-up sequence. The…
View details →DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/abngt_v1 Negative / Null Result Report
Nees MA, Geiss H · 2025 · Preprint
An experiment used a nudge intervention modeled after the question-behavior effect (QBE) in an attempt to reduce speed propensity in a video simulated driving task. Participants viewed a vignette simulating a vehicle start-up sequence. The…
View details →DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/abngt_v2 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMathematics
Samuel Pawel, Rachel Heyard, Charlotte Micheloud et al. · 2023 · arXiv
In several large-scale replication projects, statistically non-significant results in both the original and the replication study have been interpreted as a "replication success". Here we discuss the logical problems with this approach: Non-significance in both studies does not ensure that the studies provide evidence for the absence of an effect and "replication success" can virtually always be achieved if the sample sizes are small enough. In addition, the relevant error rates are not controlled. We show how methods, such as equivalence testing and Bayes factors, can be used to adequately qu
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessMedicine
Pawel S, Heyard R, Micheloud C et al. · 2024 · eLife
In several large-scale replication projects, statistically non-significant results in both the original and the replication study have been interpreted as a 'replication success.' Here, we discuss the logical problems with this approach:…
View details →DOI: 10.7554/elife.92311 Negative / Null Result ReportMedicine
Kikut-Stein A, Jesch E, Dhawan D et al. · 2026 · Journal of health communication
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a critical question for health communication is whether misinformation exposure and misperceptions about one health topic have far-reaching, or "spillover," effects on health behavior in general. The…
View details →DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2026.2623409 Negative / Null Result Report
Mifune N · 2021 · Preprint
Whether intergroup conflict is a necessary condition for the evolution of human prosociality has been a matter of debate. At the center of the debate is the coevolutionary model of parochial altruism—that human cooperation with in-group…
View details →DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-936427/v1 Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics
David J. Armstrong, Ares Osborn, Remo Burn et al. · 2025 · arXiv
NCORES was a large observing program on the ESO HARPS spectrograph, dedicated to measuring the masses of Neptune-like and smaller transiting planets discovered by the TESS satellite using the radial velocity technique. This paper presents an overview of the programme, its scientific goals and published results, covering 35 planets in 18 planetary systems. We present spectrally derived stellar characterisation and mass constraints for five additional TOIs where radial velocity observations found only marginally significant signals (TOI-510.01, $M_p=1.08^{+0.58}_{-0.55}M_\oplus$), or found no si
Negative / Null Result ReportOpen accessPhysics
E. Paunzen, G. Handler, K. Honkova et al. · 2018 · arXiv
The rapidly oscillating Ap (roAp) stars exhibit pulsational photometric and/or radial velocity variations on time scales of several minutes, which are essential to test current pulsation models as well as our assumptions of atmospheric structure characteristics. In addition, their chemical peculiarity makes them very interesting for probing stellar formation and evolution in the presence of a global magnetic field. To date, a limited number of only 61 roAp stars are known to show photometric variability. On the other hand, a literature survey yields 619 unique stars that have unsuccessfully be
