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ODD (observation- and description-deprived) psychological research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2010

Tage S. Rai  and
Alan Fiske
Tage S. Rai
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of California–Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095. trai1@ucla.eduraitriumphant@gmail.comwww.rmt.ucla.edu
Alan Fiske
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of California–Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095. afiske@ucla.eduwww.rmt.ucla.edu
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Abstract

Most psychological research consists of experiments that put people in artificial situations that elicit unnatural behavior whose ecological validity is unknown. Without knowing the psychocultural meaning of experimental situations, we cannot interpret the responses of WEIRD people, let alone people in other cultures. Psychology, like other sciences, needs to be solidly rooted in naturalistic observation and description of people around the world. Theory should be inductively developed and tested against real-world behavior.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 33 , Issue 2-3 , June 2010 , pp. 106 - 107
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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References

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