Why relying on university students skews global psychological research
A new study of 95 countries reveals that higher education—not wealth—makes individuals globally more culturally similar to Western nations. This raises concerns about the accuracy of psychological research that relies heavily on university students.
A recent study published in Nature Communications highlights the implications of relying on university students in global psychological research. An analysis of data from the World Values Survey (2005-2022) found that educational level influenced cultural similarities more than socioeconomic status. The study, conducted by Cindel J. M. White and Michael Muthukrishna, examined 268,992 participants from 95 countries and found that highly educated individuals were more similar to those from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic societies (WEIRD) than to those from low-education backgrounds.
This trend was observed in 70 percent of the analyzed countries. The researchers concluded that relying on university students in psychological research could skew results, as these individuals may not accurately represent the broader cultural norms of their countries, especially those outside the WEIRD group.
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