Hotspots in Psychology 2023

Methodological advances for meta-analyses and state-of-the-art research syntheses in psychology
The seventh volume of “Hotspots in Psychology” features research on methodological advances in meta-analyses of psychological applications and highlights research syntheses that have a special relevance to the field. Methodological contributions explore new approaches of interest within the field of psychology on how to treat potential measurement errors in MASEM and how to apply the metaplot – a new descriptive visual tool as an alternative to the often-criticized funnel plot.
Other contributions explore hotly debated topics or areas that have generated high levels of research activity, including a meta-analysis on the effects of meditation interventions. Furthermore, an application with large-scale panel data in educational research examines the commitment of students to their study program and study success over time. Using exceptional model mining, the study demonstrates a new framework to model structural heterogeneity. A systematic review on screening automation tools introduces existing screening tools and reviews evidence on their performance. The results provide guidance on how to reduce the screening workload when doing a systematic review.