2026-2027 Webcast Lecture Series
Multiverse Analysis: Embracing the Garden of Forking Paths
Dr. Martin Götz
Friday, October 16 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST
Abstract
Despite rigorous research designs grounded in substantive theory, empirical findings often diverge across studies addressing the same phenomenon. This divergence creates theoretical quagmires where knowledge advancement stalls. I introduce multiverse analysis – a systematic, comprehensive method that examines results across dozens, hundreds, or thousands of theoretically justified analytic pathways – to help researchers navigate these challenges. In this talk, I demonstrate (1) the meta-scientific foundations of multiverse, (2) the methodological intricacies of constructing a multiverse, and (3) the practical considerations for implementing multiverse analysis in research. Using the CEO gender-pay relationship in the US as an illustrative case, I show how this approach moves beyond cherry-picked robustness checks to provide holistic interpretation of aggregate results across diverging theoretical predictions. I conclude with guiding principles for applying multiverse analysis and opportunities for advancing theory through this transparent and holistic methodological approach.
Dr. Martin Götz
Biography
Martin Götz is a Senior Research and Teaching Assistant in the Social and Economic Psychology division at the University of Zurich’s Department of Psychology. He earned his PhD in psychology from the University of Zurich in 2019, specializing in industrial and organizational psychology. His research examines norms and their breach across all possible entities: After initially focusing on workplace deviance, he turned to putting his own house in order by studying questionable research practices and what meta-science can do for the betterment of science. His work has been published in Psychological Bulletin, Academy of Management Journal, and Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior.