The WEIRD language of surveys
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | Since the publication of the "WEIRD" study, (not too) many have realized the problem of sampling from WEIRD populations. However, to substitute or complement the WEIRD populations is not the whole solution – a related issue is the language we use in our surveys vis-a-vis our informants (subjects). After many years of investigating religious beliefs and behaviors in Mauritius, I realized that we, as scientists are often biased towards sophisticating our language use in favor of clarity, preciseness, and the standards of operationalization. If these tendencies make their way into the language we use with our informants, it can lead to misunderstandings, confusion, or even normative biases (e.g., reply in a manner the informant believes is expected from him). In other words, we use a WEIRD language with non-WEIRD populations. I propose we simplify and adjust the language while maintaining clarity so that our informants do not feel puzzled or odd when responding to our inquiries. A good starting point is thus to modify our initial survey designs by considering the local emic knowledge and comprehension. |
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