KhizooologyThe WEIRDest People in the World
A familiar way of thinking is not necessarily a universal one.
Big Idea
Henrich argues that Western psychology is historically unusual and connects it with changes in kinship, institutions, and cultural learning.
Sampling
Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic populations do not represent all human psychology.
Cultural learning
Practices and institutions can shape thinking and behavior over generations.
Kinship
Henrich emphasizes historical family and marriage arrangements in his explanation.
Institutional feedback
Changing social structures and psychological tendencies can influence one another.
Argument limits
This is a broad, debated historical account, not a ranking of peoples or cultures.
Notooo Take
Ask who participated in a study before treating its result as universally human.
One Thing to Keep
A familiar way of thinking is not necessarily a universal one.