A nature article, discussing the use of traditional westerners in well-to-do societies as experimental subjects in psychological studies:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v466/n7302/full/466029a.html
BTW this acronym is awesome:
"This is in line with what anthropologists have long suggested: that people from Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) societies — and particularly American undergraduates — are some of the most psychologically unusual people on Earth."
1 comment:
Awesome acronym indeed.
The article (well the abstract since I can't read it) makes sense. Our mindset is rather unique because most of the problems in our lives are not the same as those of people from less well-off societies. Most people are just trying to make a living while we easily survive but have trouble finding meaning in life. As a result, our value systems and pursuits are very different.
A movie like Fight Club probably wouldn't work nearly as well as it did if it was aired in most other countries.
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