Survivorship Bias in Psychological Research: An Analysis of Trends and Implications

Proceedings of the 7th World Conference on Social Sciences Studies

Year: 2025

DOI:

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Survivorship Bias in Psychological Research: An Analysis of Trends and Implications

Krishnapriya Kanakkassery Satheesan

ABSTRACT:

Survivorship bias, the tendency to focus on participants who successfully complete a study while overlooking those who drop out or experience negative outcomes, significantly impacts the validity of psychological research. This systematic review examines the prevalence and consequences of survivorship bias across key domains, including mental health, cognitive aging, epidemiology, resilience, and social psychology. Using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, 20 studies published between 2018 and 2022 were analyzed for their methodologies, findings, and proposed solutions. The findings reveal that survivorship bias skews research outcomes by overestimating treatment effectiveness, underestimating psychological distress, and misrepresenting cognitive decline. In mental health research, studies often exclude individuals with severe psychological distress, leading to an incomplete picture of treatment efficacy. Similarly, cognitive aging studies underestimate dementia risk by focusing on individuals with slower cognitive decline. Epidemiological research on COVID-19 is also affected, with missing data distorting estimates of disease impact and transmission. This review underscores the importance of adopting more inclusive research designs, employing statistical corrections such as intention-to-treat analyses, and improving participant retention strategies. Addressing survivorship bias is critical for ensuring the accuracy and generalizability of psychological research, ultimately leading to more effective clinical and public health interventions.

keywords: survivorship bias, cognitive aging, mental health, epidemiology, resilience, psychological research