Instances of Scientific Misconduct


Dirk Smeesters

Dirk Smeesters a psychology researcher at Erasmus University has had up to half a dozen retractions due to scientific misconduct. He has received retractions due to the falsification/fabrication of data and results, errors in data, errors in methods, and irreproducible results. His retractions were in the fields of psychology, communications, sociology, and business/marketing. Some of his infamous retracted papers include, “The Effects of Messiness on Preferences for Simplicity,” “Reminders of Money Elicit Feelings of Threat Reactance in Response to Social Influence,” and “Money and Mimicry; when being mimicked makes people feel threatened.”


An interview with Uri Smonsohn, the data sleuth behind the Smeesters Psychology misconduct case (Discover Magazine, July 3, 2012)

Another psychologist resigns after a data detective’s investigation (Discover Magazine, July 12, 2012)

Archive for the ‘Dirk Smeesters’ Category (Retraction Watch, May 22, 2014)

“Blameworthy inaccuracies:” Dirk Smeesters up to six retractions (Retraction Watch, May 22, 2014)

Final report in Smeesters case serves up seven retractions (Retraction Watch, March 19, 2014)

Following investigation, Erasmus social psychology professor retracts two studies, resigns (Retraction Watch, June 25, 2012)

Fraud case Dirk Smeesters (JenniferVonk.com, March 5, 2014)

“Fraud committed by any social psychologist diminishes all social psychologists”: New Sanna, Smeesters retractions (Retraction Watch, January 8, 2013)

Researcher caught up in fraud case punches back (Wired, June 25, 2012)

Rotterdam Marketing Psychologist Resigns After University Investigates His Data (Science Mag, June 25, 2012)

Smeesters’ side of the story (Erasmus Magazine, November 9, 2012)

Statistically “Highly Unlikely” – Social Psychologist Dirk Smeesters Resigns (Science 2.0, June 26, 2012)

The data detective (Nature, July 3, 2012)

The journal Science once again excuses scientific fraud (Behind the Black, June 29, 2012)

Why a new case of misconduct in psychology heralds interesting times for the field (Discover Magazine, June 26, 2012)