Dyslexia Research and Replicability: Should We Be Worried?

Replicability has become a heated issue in empirical science. In interdisciplinary fields, such as dyslexia research, replications are deemed challenging due to the linguistic, cognitive, and contextual complexity of literacy. We discuss whether dyslexia research faces a replicability crisis and the implications of replicability issues for researchers, educators, and practitioners. We examine potential causes of low replicability specific to dyslexia studies, including conceptual, methodological, and statistical variances observed in the context of psycho- and neurolinguistics. We argue that understanding the sources of variability is crucial for distinguishing between non-replication and non-generalization. Embracing variability while increasing transparency and specificity in scientific reports can ultimately help build robust theories in dyslexia research. We advocate for the development of valid instruments, along with the promotion of individual difference research and large-scale replications, to inform researchers and practitioners on what can make dyslexia research more replicable.