The red-attractiveness effect, applying the Ioannidis and Trikalinos (2007b) test, and the broader scientific context: a reply to Francis (2013).

Francis (2013) tested for and found evidence of publication bias in 1 of the 3 focal relations examined in Elliot et al. (2010), that between red and attractiveness. He then called into question the research as a whole and the field of experimental psychology more generally. Our reply has 3 foci. First, we attend to the bottom line regarding the red-attractiveness effect; it has already been replicated and extended by several independent laboratories. Second, we note that the test applied to our research is an exploratory test meant to be used cautiously and highlight ways in which the application to our research seems incautious. Third, we place the critique in the broader context of the prevailing norms and practices of the field and suggest that the preferred approach to reevaluating and revising the system currently in place is the frank, creative exchange of ideas already underway.