"The Slow Progress Towards Diversification in Psychological Research"
For the past 50 years, researchers have highlighted the severe lack of diversity, both international and domestic, among the samples used in psychological research. Despite a steady progression of articles documenting the problem and urging change, some of which have been high profile and widely discussed (e.g., Arnett, 2008; Henrich et al., 2010; Markus & Kitayama, 1991), the mainstream of the field has continued to advance universal claims based on narrow samples. In this presentation, I will, 1) describe the problem and the successive efforts to both raise awareness and effect change, 2) examine various arguments for the lack of progress, considered within a historical perspective as well as the sociology and psychology of science, and 3) provide preliminary suggestions for how to accelerate progress.