The practice of extrapolating definitive, universal truths from a singular study is inherently problematic. Within psychology, this issue is compounded by the methodological limitations imposed by the WEIRD bias.
WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) describes a pervasive bias in psychological and behavioral studies. Researchers often over-rely on participants from WEIRD societies, leading to findings that may not apply to the broader human population.
Studies consistently show significant behavioral differences between WEIRD and non-WEIRD groups in areas such as cognition, morality, decision-making, and social behavior. In short, WEIRD populations are outliers, yet their behavior is often treated as the universal human norm.
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