Broadening horizons: Sample diversity and socioecological theory are essential to the future of psychological science

Abstract

The present lack of sample diversity and ecological theory in psychological science fundamentally limits generalizability and obstructs scientific progress. A focus on the role of socioecology in shaping the evolution of morphology, physiology, and behavior has not yet been widely applied toward psychology. To date, evolutionary approaches to psychology have focused more on finding universals than explaining variability. However, contrasts between small-scale, kin-based rural subsistence societies and large-scale urban, market-based populations, have not been well appreciated. Nor has the variability within high-income countries, or the socioeconomic and cultural transformations affecting even the most remote tribal populations today. Elucidating the causes and effects of such broad changes on psychology and behavior is a fundamental concern of the social sciences; expanding study participants beyond students and other convenience samples is necessary to improve understanding of flexible psychological reaction norms among and within populations. Here I highlight two examples demonstrating how socioecological variability can help explain psychological trait expression: (i) the role of environmental harshness and unpredictability on shaping time preference and related traits, such as impulsivity, vigilance, and self-efficacy; and (ii) the effects of industrialization, market integration, and niche complexity on personality structure. These cases illustrate how appropriate theory can be a powerful tool to help determine choices of diverse study populations and improve the social sciences.

Niche diversity can explain cross-cultural differences in personality structure

“…In addition, niche diversity potentially offers a consilient way in which to think about disparate descriptors of societal complexity. For example, Gurven [62] recently showed that higher national-level personality trait covariation is also associated with greater cultural tightness [63], lower individualism [64], and lower gender egalitarianism [65], all of which may reflect stricter constraints limiting the availability of diverse socioecological niches to individuals within those societies.…”

Epigenetic aging in children from a small‐scale farming society in The Congo Basin: Associations with child growth and family conflict

“…However, we were able to collect data from the vast majority of Bondongo parents and children who were present in the village at the time of the research project (Boyette et al, ). We argue that this limitation is offset by the advantage of collecting data in these environments, which are tremendously underrepresented in existing research on family function as well as children's development, biology, and health (Gurven, ; Henrich et al, ).…”

“…While research on aging and the epigenome has expanded to a number of different global settings and populations, it remains the case that the vast majority of studies on epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) focus on adult populations in societies such as the U.S., Europe, and other similar settings (Horvath et al, ; Ryan et al, ). Specifically, those societies are industrialized and wealthy (at the national level) and feature ecologies in which energetic stress is largely absent and pathogen stress is low (Gurven, ; Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, ). Those socioecological conditions differ substantially from those experienced by much of the global population, particularly in low‐resource or impoverished settings with minimal access to clinical, biomedical care (Gurven, ; Lozano et al, ).…”

“…Specifically, those societies are industrialized and wealthy (at the national level) and feature ecologies in which energetic stress is largely absent and pathogen stress is low (Gurven, 2018;Henrich, Heine, & Norenzayan, 2010). Those socioecological conditions differ substantially from those experienced by much of the global population, particularly in low-resource or impoverished settings with minimal access to clinical, biomedical care (Gurven, 2018;Lozano et al, 2012).…”

Do the Maasai perceive weak walkers to be stronger and more attractive than strong walkers? A re-analysis of Fink et al . (2019)

“…Fink et al [1] report that Maasai men and women rated strong walkers as both weaker and less attractive than weak walkers: a surprising reversal of the effects found in previous research [2,3]. These data from a non-WEIRD population are highly valuable for assessing the universality gait perception [4]. However, the conducted analyses relied on participants' ratings of attractiveness and strength that were averaged across groups of stimuli (i.e.…”