Conceptual Replication of the Automaticity of Hierarchy: Multiple Methods to Test a Hypothesis

When do people like or dislike hierarchy? We showed in six studies that people like hierarchy because it is cognitively primary–people learn to like hierarchy first and equality later. It takes effort to override this initial hierarchy preference in favor of equality, and when the ability to think carefully is limited, preference for hierarchy emerges. We demonstrated this effect using a conceptual replication design. Conceptual replication allows researchers to demonstrate reliability and validity of a hypothesis while advancing scientific knowledge. This case study illustrates theoretical and practical advantages and disadvantages of conceptual replication. As part of our replication process, we collected data from three different populations: community members in the "real-world" as field study, online participants, and students in university labs. We discuss our process of data collection, and strengths and weaknesses of each population choice as well as the use of multiple populations in general. Our research illustrates the advantages of conceptual replication for enhancing confidence in and broadening the scope of hypotheses.