“I came to SFU as a transfer student in 1992, completing my BA with a major in Psychology and a minor in Women’s Studies in 1994. I lived and taught English in Japan for 4 years before coming back to SFU to do my MA in 1998. I was the first (and for one year, the only) student in the then brand new area, “Theory and Methods” (which was eventually renamed to “History, Quantitative, and Theoretical Psychology”). I completed my PhD in 2006 and immediately took up a faculty appointment in the Psychology Department. ⁠
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The primary focus of the research in the SMPPS (Studies in Methodology and Philosophy of Psychological Science Lab) has been to track— through examination of published research reports and meta-analysis--practices of researchers in psychology and allied disciplines. My research is part of the larger domain of critical 'meta-science', which falls under a broader domain of science and technology studies, aimed at ensuring that the research practices of psychology are sound and that its research tools are best suited for the kinds of research questions being tackled. I think all academic disciplines need this kind of critical reflection and that this is especially pertinent now, given the current crises of faith we are experiencing in psychology and in science more broadly.”⁠
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Kate Slaney is a Professor, the Associate Chair of Psychology’s Graduate studies program, and the lab director for SMPPS. 

This post was originally posted on the SFU Psychology Instagram on November 10, 2020.