Unkotare
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- Aug 16, 2011
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An interesting article in Scientific American on the rampant leftward bias in social psychology and how to correct for it.
How Do We Fix the Liberal Slant in Social Psychology?
No field of study can be truly legitimate that is so marbled with so much predictable and observable bias.
"Here's one thing on which everyone agrees: social psychology is overwhelmingly composed of liberals—around 85 percent, according to a 2012 survey by researchers at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.
...
A paper published online last year in Behavioral and Brain Sciences by José L. Duarte of Arizona State University and his colleagues attempts to organize the existing research relevant to this debate. Two central questions arise: Is the ideological imbalance the result of true bias against conservatives or some more benign cause, such as self-selection into the field? ...
Duarte and his colleagues provide evidence suggesting that social psychology is not a welcoming environment for conservatives. Several studies have shown that papers are reviewed less favorably if they support conservative positions, and anonymous surveys reveal a considerable percentage of social psychologists willing to report negative attitudes toward conservatives. This should not surprise us. Everything social psychologists know about group behavior suggests that overwhelming homogeneity, especially when defined through an important component of one's identity such as political ideology, will lead to negativity toward an out-group. We also know a thing or two about confirmation bias—the tendency to view new information as supporting one's preexisting beliefs. "
Good luck finding more than a handful on the left who will even admit to this.
How Do We Fix the Liberal Slant in Social Psychology?
No field of study can be truly legitimate that is so marbled with so much predictable and observable bias.
"Here's one thing on which everyone agrees: social psychology is overwhelmingly composed of liberals—around 85 percent, according to a 2012 survey by researchers at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.
...
A paper published online last year in Behavioral and Brain Sciences by José L. Duarte of Arizona State University and his colleagues attempts to organize the existing research relevant to this debate. Two central questions arise: Is the ideological imbalance the result of true bias against conservatives or some more benign cause, such as self-selection into the field? ...
Duarte and his colleagues provide evidence suggesting that social psychology is not a welcoming environment for conservatives. Several studies have shown that papers are reviewed less favorably if they support conservative positions, and anonymous surveys reveal a considerable percentage of social psychologists willing to report negative attitudes toward conservatives. This should not surprise us. Everything social psychologists know about group behavior suggests that overwhelming homogeneity, especially when defined through an important component of one's identity such as political ideology, will lead to negativity toward an out-group. We also know a thing or two about confirmation bias—the tendency to view new information as supporting one's preexisting beliefs. "
Good luck finding more than a handful on the left who will even admit to this.
