The Impact of Research Skewed Towards WEIRD Societies

Psychological research predominantly uses subjects from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies, which are not representative of the broader human population. This skewing of research has limited our understanding of the breadth of human psychological variation. Cultural psychologists emphasize the crucial role of culture in shaping our behavior and psychology, highlighting the need to consider cultural factors in research. Second-generation immigrants exhibit cultural echoes of their parents' origins, demonstrating the lasting influence of cultural experiences. To address this bias, it is important for granting agencies and academic journals to encourage diverse subject pools and for researchers to be more aware of the broader cultural context in which their studies are conducted.