Traditionally, science has thrived on collaboration, but the current environment is increasingly characterized by competition. This has led some scientists to withhold their findings from colleagues. Recent research identifies “victim sensitivity” as a factor that predicts knowledge hiding, while a strong identification as a “researcher” may inadvertently fuel mistrust.
Science’s collaborative nature is not new. The collective wisdom of the present pays homage to generations of scientists who built on the foundations laid by their predecessors.
However, in the modern academic world, an aggressive competitive atmosphere is emerging, often to the detriment of individual scientists. Early-career professionals, who are working to build their reputation and attain tenure, find this especially difficult. The race for citations, recognition, and funding has become a common challenge for scholars today.
It is, therefore, not surprising that numerous scientists are reluctant to cooperate with their peers by divulging their work. They may “conceal” their raw data, even if it has taken them years to gather. Experiments that have failed or yielded insignificant results might also be hidden. Such practices lead to various teams spending valuable time on identical fruitless studies, hindering progress and the growth of global knowledge.
In contrast, recent times have seen a worldwide surge in support for open science. This movement advocates and celebrates principles based on transparency, collaboration, and the sharing of information.
With this backdrop, a German team comprising social psychologists from LMU Munich and the University of Marburg conducted several studies involving scientists from Europe and North America. Their goal was to understand the reasons driving researchers to keep knowledge from their peers. Their findings were published in the Social Psychological Bulletin, an open-access peer-reviewed scholarly journal.
“Hiding knowledge is concerning not just for the private sector but also in academia. In the realm of science, where the goal should be acquiring, examining, and spreading knowledge, this issue becomes even more pressing,” state the study’s authors.
“If researchers were prone to concealing what they know from colleagues, accumulating scientific knowledge would become unfeasible. Instead of optimizing the collaborative pursuit of truth, science would merely yield isolated, insular, and likely non-reproducible individual results.”
Their research revealed that “victim sensitivity,” a particular personality trait, was indicative of knowledge hiding in science. Scientists with this characteristic often fear exploitation by others and are consequently more wary of their peers.
The team also examined if emphasizing the participants’ identity as a “researcher” would either promote or obstruct collaboration. Interestingly, this reminder made participants more suspicious and inclined to hide knowledge. This might be explained by activating a hindering self-stereotype: that a researcher is highly ambitious, but cold, rather than caring and cooperative.
The study’s authors did note some encouraging findings: the inclination to hide knowledge was relatively low among the participants.
Yet, they caution against potential biases. Participants volunteering for these studies may have been more collaborative in the first place. Also, the self-reporting nature of the study might have influenced participants to portray themselves more favorably.
In conclusion, the research team emphasizes the need for a shift in the stereotypical perception of researchers. “Identifying as a researcher should embody cooperation, orientation towards others, and trustworthiness—a social identity that emphasizes knowledge sharing, not hiding,” they state.
Reference: “Among Us: Fear of Exploitation, Suspiciousness, and Social Identity Predict Knowledge Hiding Among Researchers” by Marlene Sophie Altenmüller, Marlene Sophie Altenmüller, and Mario Gollwitzer, 15 May 2023, Social Psychological Bulletin. DOI: 10.32872/spb.10011
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about knowledge hiding
What is the main concern addressed in the research about scientific advancements?
The research focuses on the growing competition in the scientific field leading to knowledge hiding among researchers. This includes the reluctance of scientists to share their findings, data, and failed experiments, causing delays in progress. “Victim sensitivity” is identified as a predictor for this behavior.
How has the competitive landscape in science affected early-career professionals?
The increasingly competitive environment in academia poses particular challenges to early-career scientists who are working to build their reputation and achieve tenure. The competitive race for citations, recognition, and funding makes collaboration and openness more difficult for them.
What is “victim sensitivity,” and how does it relate to knowledge hiding?
“Victim sensitivity” is a specific personality trait characterized by a latent fear of being exploited by others. Researchers with this trait are more suspicious of their colleagues and thus more likely to hide knowledge, which is identified as a factor predicting knowledge hiding in the scientific community.
What is the open science movement, and how does it contrast with the trend of knowledge hiding?
Open science is a global movement that stands for principles founded on transparency, collaboration, and sharing. It contrasts with the trend of knowledge hiding, where scientists conceal their findings from peers, hindering progress and the sharing of global knowledge.
What were the conclusions drawn by the German research team?
The German team found that the intention to hide knowledge was relatively low among the participants but warned about potential biases in the study. They concluded that the scientific community needs to change its stereotypical perception of researchers and foster a social identity that emphasizes knowledge sharing rather than hiding.
5 comments
I think the open science movement is great. Let’s hope it gains more traction. its about time we started to value collaboration over competition.
As a young researcher myself, I feel the pressure of competition. But hiding knowledge doesn’t seem right. We should be helping each other, not hindering progress.
This is really eye-opening! never realized how cutthroat the science field can be. Knowledge should be shared, not hidden. Thanks for sharing this.
very informative but also quite concerning. Why are we making it so hard for new scientists to succeed? The system seems broken and needs some serious rethinking.
This article is spot on, I’ve seen firsthand how some researchers are hesitant to share their work. Maybe it’s time we take a closer look at the system.