> Skip to content
FEATURED:
  • The Evolution of Race in Admissions
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
  • News
  • Advice
  • The Review
  • Data
  • Current Issue
  • Virtual Events
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
Sign In
ADVERTISEMENT
News
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Show more sharing options
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • Copy Link URLCopied!
  • Print

Journals Retract 6 More Articles by a Controversial Cornell Food Scientist

By  Tom Bartlett
September 19, 2018
Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell U.
Tristan Spinski
Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell U.

The retractions keep stacking up for Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, whose high-profile research on the psychology of diet has turned out to be riddled with errors. The latest blow fell on Wednesday, when the JAMA Network, a group of journals published by the American Medical Association, announced that six of Wansink’s papers, appearing in three journals, had been retracted.

In May the network issued an “expression of concern” and asked Cornell to conduct an evaluation of those papers. The university informed the network that “because we do not have access to the original data, we cannot assure you that the results of the studies are valid.”

We’re sorry. Something went wrong.

We are unable to fully display the content of this page.

The most likely cause of this is a content blocker on your computer or network. Please make sure your computer, VPN, or network allows javascript and allows content to be delivered from c950.chronicle.com and chronicle.blueconic.net.

Once javascript and access to those URLs are allowed, please refresh this page. You may then be asked to log in, create an account if you don't already have one, or subscribe.

If you continue to experience issues, contact us at 202-466-1032 or help@chronicle.com

Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell U.
Tristan Spinski
Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell U.

The retractions keep stacking up for Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, whose high-profile research on the psychology of diet has turned out to be riddled with errors. The latest blow fell on Wednesday, when the JAMA Network, a group of journals published by the American Medical Association, announced that six of Wansink’s papers, appearing in three journals, had been retracted.

In May the network issued an “expression of concern” and asked Cornell to conduct an evaluation of those papers. The university informed the network that “because we do not have access to the original data, we cannot assure you that the results of the studies are valid.”

In an email to The Chronicle, Wansink called the latest set of retractions “very unjust” and went on to say that he’s “very proud of all of these papers, and I’m confident they will be replicated by other groups.” The professor also provided a copy of an email to his co-authors in which he wrote that “this seems to be happening based on us not being able to send them the original surveys from 10-20 years ago.”

The papers were on such topics as whether pre-ordering lunches helps students make better food choices, and whether watching action-packed television shows causes viewers to snack more.

ADVERTISEMENT

The six new retractions bring Wansink’s total to 13 — or 14, depending on how you count. One of the papers was retracted, revised, then retracted again after it was discovered that the researchers had gotten the age range wrong for the children in the study. (They were not 8 to 11 years old, as originally reported, but 3 to 5.)

Some Cornell faculty members worry that the steady drip-drip of revelations about Wansink’s research doesn’t reflect well on the university. Neil Lewis Jr., an assistant professor of communication and social behavior at Cornell, said he gets asked about Wansink whenever he attends conferences. Lewis wrote by email that his gut reaction to the latest news was: “Oh Jesus, there’s more? I can’t keep up anymore.”

As the number of retractions has grown, some observers have also wondered when the university’s investigation of Wansink, which began last year, would conclude. A Cornell spokesman said on Wednesday that the review was now complete and that the university would “issue a statement about its outcome on Friday.”

When asked whether he had been informed that an announcement was imminent, Wansink replied via email: “No. I didn’t know that.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Tom Bartlett is a senior writer who covers science and other things. Follow him on Twitter @tebartl.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Scholarship & Research
Tom Bartlett
Tom Bartlett is a senior writer who covers science and ideas. Follow him on Twitter @tebartl.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Related Content

  • Spoiled Science
  • Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
    Explore
    • Get Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Blogs
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Find a Job
  • The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
    The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • DEI Commitment Statement
    • Write for Us
    • Talk to Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • User Agreement
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Site Map
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
    Customer Assistance
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Post a Job
    • Advertising Terms and Conditions
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
    Subscribe
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Institutional Subscriptions
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Manage Your Account
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2023 The Chronicle of Higher Education
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin