WEIRD Participants in Psychology Research

WEIRD Participants in Psychology Research

• In the 1980s, researchers began to recognize the importance of including diverse participants and cultures in psychology research.
• In 2010, researchers Henrich, Heine, and Norenzayan introduced the acronym "WEIRD" to describe the predominant participant group in psychology research, which is predominantly:
  • Western
  • Educated
  • Industrialised
  • Rich
  • Democratic.
• 68% of psychology research participants are from the USA.
• 96% of psychology research participants are WEIRD, representing only 12% of the world’s population.
• 73% of authors in psychology research are from universities in the USA.
• 99% of psychology research is conducted at universities in Western countries
• This lack of diversity in participants means that psychology research may not accurately reflect the full range of human psychological variability.
• Studies using WEIRD samples may:
  • Miss important dimensions of variation across cultures.
  • Devote undue attention to behavioral tendencies that are unusual on a global context.
  • Lead to uneven and incomplete psychological understanding.

Non-WEIRD / Non-Industrialised Societies in Research

• Researchers have conducted studies comparing industrialised societies with non-industrialised societies, finding differences in perception of visual illusions and risk aversion.
• Participants from non-industrialised societies:
  • Are more likely to perceive lines as equal, even if they are slightly different in length.
  • Are less risk-averse, preferring a smaller amount of money now over a larger amount later.

Industrialised Societies in Research

• Industrialised societies can be further categorised into:
  • Non-Western
  • Western:
    • Non-USA
    • USA

Industrialised Non-Western Societies

• These societies tend to have a more holistic approach to thinking.
• They focus on relationships between objects to explain and predict behavior.
• They tend to have wider range of moral principles that prioritize fulfilling interpersonal relationships, divinity, and moralizing food, sex, and relationships.

Industrilalised Western Societies

• These societies tend to have a more analytical approach to thinking.
• They focus on detached objects and their attributes, rather than relationships.
• They use category rules to explain and predict behaviour.
• They tend to use principles of justice and harm when judging moral behaviour, prioritize individual autonomy, and are more consistent in their behavior.
• Western societies are more prone to "social loafing", where individuals contribute less effort in a group setting.

Industrialised Westernised USA

• These societies are more individualistic, preferring more choices.
• They are more likely to engage in analytical reasoning.
• They are 4000 times more likely to be recruited for research, making them a disproportionate representation in studies.
• They are less conformist, and focus on autonomy.
• They are less prejudiced, but more susceptible to attitude change and social influence.

Gender, Sex, and Diversity in Research

• Cameron and Stinson (2019) found that most research studies fail to adequately measure gender and sex, neglecting transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals.
• This lack of inclusion results in misclassification of participants, impacting the validity of research findings.
• Failing to account for gender and sex diversity erases the experiences of nearly 6800 people.
• This lack of representation can cause reactance effects, leading to psychological harm and disrespecting gender diversity.