Still WEIRD, still underreported: An updated benchmark for psychological science.

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Authors: Alison Jane Martingano, Neema Trivedi-Bateman, Lance Gauger, Megan Huggett, Beth Allcock, Rebecca Jackson, Grace Holschuh
Cited by: 3

Abstract

= 1,217) and compared their samples with previous reviews. While the proportion of U.S.-based samples continues to decline, U.S. participants remain vastly overrepresented (59% of samples in 2024). For demographic representativeness, we found substantial improvements in demographic reporting since 2014, but participants' race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education are still frequently omitted. For reporting standards, we evaluated compliance with Journal Article Reporting Standards for Race, Ethnicity, and Culture (APA, 2023). We find wide variation across journals in the adoption of practices, with some, such as including sample justifications, almost unanimously adopted, whereas others, such as conducting analyses of diversity, are much less common. Overall, our findings show that psychology still depends heavily on Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic samples, with only modest and uneven progress toward inclusivity and transparency. By combining three evaluation criteria, we establish a holistic benchmark that can be used to systematically monitor change in these research practices in the future. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Fields of Study & Subjects

Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology Counseling Practices and Supervision Cognitive Abilities and Testing

Publication details

Journal / source
American Psychologist
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Publication date
6 April 2026
Language
EN