Meta-analyses and p-curves support robust cycle shifts in women's mate preferences: reply to Wood and Carden (2014) and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014).

Abstract in brief

• Two meta-analyses on women's mate preferences across the ovulatory cycle reached different conclusions: one supported the idea of significant cycle shifts (ovulatory shift hypothesis), while the other questioned their validity, attributing findings to biases like publication bias or p-hacking.
• The authors reanalyzed the data from the meta-analysis that questioned the shifts, finding errors in their original analysis and presenting right-skewed p-curves that support the existence of genuine effects, thus countering claims that results are false positives.
• Overall, the evidence from multiple analyses and p-curves indicates that the observed cycle shifts in women's mate preferences are real and robust, and that unfounded accusations of research misconduct should be based on solid evidence rather than speculation.]