We would like to clarify the following points about the News story ‘Disputed results a fresh blow for social psychology’ (Nature 497, 16; 2013).

• Contrary to the story, unconscious thought theory, which is concerned with unconscious decision making, is not the same as intelligence priming.

• The story referred to the study by David Shanks (D. R. Shanks et al. PLoS ONE 8, e56515; 2013) in which he was unable to replicate the ‘professor/hooligan’ intelligence-priming effect reported by Ap Dijksterhuis. We note that other researchers have observed Dijksterhuis’s intelligence-priming effect.

• Contrary to the story, Dijksterhuis has stated that he will provide a protocol to assist in replicating results in the field. He had not, however, provided such a protocol at the time that the story was published.

• As the story stated, there is no suggestion of fraud in Dijksterhuis’s research, and we are happy to emphasize that there is no suggestion that he has been involved in any misconduct.