Studies show that social science research oversamples which populations? a. People who live in industrialized countries b. People who vote in most local elections c. People who are middle-aged O d. People who serve in the military
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is a. People who live in industrialized countries.
Social science research has historically overrepresented populations from industrialized, Western, Educated, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies. This bias stems from the convenience of accessing participants in these regions and the availability of data from these populations. Consequently, findings from such studies may not be generalizable to the global population, leading to skewed understandings of human behavior and societal dynamics.
A study titled “WEIRD ICWSM: How Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic is Social Computing Research?” examined this issue within the context of social computing research. The authors analyzed 494 papers published between 2018 and 2022 at the AAAI International Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM). They found that 37% of these papers focused solely on data from Western countries. While this percentage is lower than those observed in other conferences like CHI (76%) and FAccT (84%), it still indicates a significant reliance on WEIRD populations. Moreover, the studies at ICWSM predominantly examined populations from countries that are more Educated, Industrialized, and Rich compared to those in FAccT, with a special note on the ‘Democratic’ variable reflecting political freedoms and rights. citeturn0academia0
This overrepresentation of WEIRD populations in research has several implications. It can lead to a limited understanding of human behavior, as findings may not apply to individuals from non-WEIRD societies. For instance, psychological theories developed based on WEIRD populations might not hold true for people from other cultural backgrounds. Additionally, policies and interventions designed based on such research may be ineffective or even harmful when applied to diverse populations.
To address this bias, researchers are encouraged to include more diverse populations in their studies. This approach would enhance the external validity of research findings and ensure that social science research more accurately reflects the global diversity of human experiences.