Scientific Definition
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic — a tiny, atypical psychological sample.
Plain-English Definition
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic — a tiny, atypical psychological sample.
Feynman Explanation
Most of psychology was done on 12% of the species.
Core Principle
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic — a tiny, atypical psychological sample.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic — a tiny, atypical psychological sample.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Don't generalize WEIRD-based behavioral findings to global markets without testing.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Most of psychology was done on 12% of the species.
Examples
- Henrich's critique that 'human nature' findings often don't replicate globally.
- Don't generalize WEIRD-based behavioral findings to global markets without testing.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Localize behavioral interventions. Re-test assumptions outside the original context.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Localize behavioral interventions. Re-test assumptions outside the original context.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Cultures vary in how strictly norms are enforced and deviance punished.
Each value system (Beige through Green) believes itself to be the only valid one and dismisses the others.
The relative weight a culture gives to individual goals vs. group cohesion.
The combination of historical, social, and existential pressures that activates the next vMeme.
How much hierarchical inequality a culture accepts as normal.
Yellow and Turquoise vMemes — first systems that recognize the legitimacy of all earlier value systems.
A developmental model of human value systems (vMemes) emerging in response to life conditions.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Basics first (health/finances), then depth (mastery/impact), then altruism (widening circle).
A group decides on a course of action that nobody actually wants, because everyone assumes others prefer it.
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.
Deriving general rules from specific examples; the leap from instance to concept.