The field of psychology has long relied on research conducted primarily with WEIRD populations—Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. While these studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of human behavior, they reflect a narrow slice of the global population. In fact, less than 18% of the world's population lives in WEIRD societies, yet this group makes up the vast majority of psychological research participants.
This raises a serious issue: we’ve built much of clinical psychology on findings from a subset of humanity that is, by global standards, atypical. What works for a college student in Boston may not generalize to a farmer in rural India, a refugee from Sudan, or even a working-class family in Appalachia. It doesn’t really work for a plumber or farmer living within the United States fully either, right?
Why the WEIRD Problem Matters for Clinicians
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