The tendency for academic journals to preferentially publish studies with statistically significant or positive results while rejecting studies with null or negative findings. This creates a distorted view of scientific evidence in the published literature.
The concept was first described in the 1950s but the specific term 'publication bias' gained prominence in the 1980s through medical research. It combines 'publication' (from Latin 'publicare' meaning 'to make public') with 'bias,' highlighting how the selection process for sharing research creates systematic distortions.
Publication bias is so strong that researchers estimate there are about 6 unpublished negative studies for every published positive study in psychology! This 'file drawer effect' means that what we think we know about human behavior is based on a tiny, highly selective sample of all the research that's actually been conducted - like judging a movie based only on its best scenes.
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