An Epistemological Strategy for Initiating Scientific Revolution against WEIRD Psychology

• Published in: Integrative psychological & behavioral science Vol. 57; no. 2; pp. 361 - 380
• Main Author: Hwang, Kwang-Kuo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2023; Springer
• Subjects: Anthropology; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Humans; Knowledge; Psychology; Regular Article; Research Design; Sociology; Eurocentrism; Culture-inclusive theories; Epistemological strategy; WEIRD psychology; Episteme of self-colonization
• ISSN: 1932-4502; 1936-3567
• DOI: 10.1007/s12124-022-09681-9

This paper, a reply to the thought-provoking paper The WEIRDest People in the World ? (Henrich, Heine & Norenzayan, 2010), makes the fundamental argument that most research paradigms from Western mainstream psychology, including theories, methods, and research procedures, are all very WEIRD once moved to non-Western cultures. We thus face not only biased samples but also a deeply WEIRD psychology. Implanting such a research paradigm into non-Western societies may result in an episteme of self-colonization by formulating a mentality of normative Eurocentrism, which may hinder not only the understanding of a local culture. Through this paper I draw on Kuhn’s (1962) Structure of Scientific Revolutions to argue that a crisis is needed to initiate a scientific revolution against WEIRD psychology. I then draw on Hwang’s (2019a) epistemological strategy as a path for constructing culture-inclusive theories to compliment Western theories found in mainstream psychology.