Strategies for replication research exemplified by replications of the istomina study

Motivations for replication research include, e.g., correcting perceived sh ortcomings in the original study, investigating the generality of previous results, and resolving inconsistencies of previous results with later resul ts or theories. The original research method should be replicated as closel y as possible to ensure that failure to replicate the previous results does not reflect the use of different methods. Hypotheses about relevant causes can then be tested in follow-up work with changes in methods as dictated b y the hypotheses. Another motivation is to test the original theory. In thi s case, the theoretical meanings of the original tasks need to be replicate d. These strategies are discussed in the present article and are exemplifie d by a review of replications of a study by Istomina. Istomina had found th at preschool children's memory was better in a game than a lesson context, as expected on the basis of Leontyev's "theory of activity." None of the re plication studies closely replicated Istomina's methods, but some replicate d her results, (C) 1999 Academic Press.