Open data exposes false loadings

Publishing code and raw item responses lets independent researchers recompute factor analyses and catch impossible or fabricated statistics — in this case identical .742 loadings across ten items. When authors omit basic descriptives and withhold actual loadings, obvious problems can be hidden behind jargon or compositing claims. — If journals and funders require code and basic descriptive reporting, many clear statistical impossibilities and possible frauds can be detected and corrected before they distort public debates.