In the context of cultural psychology, how is the diversity of psychological research and practice often limited in the United States?

• A. Most psychological theories and research are based primarily on samples from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) populations.
• B. There is an equal representation of all cultural backgrounds in psychological studies conducted in the United States.
• C. The United States prohibits the study of cultural influences on psychological processes.
• D. Psychological research in the United States exclusively focuses on non-Western cultural groups.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of WEIRD populations, which stands for Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. These populations are often the primary focus in psychological research samples.
2. Step 2: Recognize that psychological theories and findings developed from WEIRD samples may not generalize well to other cultural groups due to cultural differences in behavior, cognition, and social norms.
3. Step 3: Identify that in the United States, much psychological research tends to rely heavily on WEIRD samples, which limits the diversity and cultural representation in research findings.
4. Step 4: Evaluate the other options by considering whether they accurately reflect the state of psychological research in the U.S.—for example, whether there is equal representation of all cultural backgrounds or exclusive focus on non-Western groups.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the main limitation is the over-reliance on WEIRD populations in psychological research, which restricts the cultural diversity and applicability of psychological theories and practices.