Researcher Bias: McGilChrist and Mannheim -Six Specific Problem Areas due to the materialist "rigid adherence" to the quantification (McGilChrist) and laboratory experiments (Kay Deaux)
Creators: name: Peck Jr, Charles E.
Publisher: name: Knowledge Commons
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: United States. General Accounting Office. Program Evaluation and Methodology Division
subject: Science and Public Policy Studies Group
subject: Australian Association for the Study of Religions
subject: Council on Religion and International Affairs
subject: Action research--Methodology
subject: Aesthetics--Methodology
subject: Philippine Normal College
subject: Philippine literature
subject: Central Philippine University
subject: Philippine Normal University
subject: Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness
subject: Spiritual Council of Churches
subject: National Spiritual Science Center
subject: Jesuit Center for Spiritual Growth
subject: Fellowship for Spiritual Understanding

description: Researcher Bias: From Mannheim to McGilChrist – Six Specific Problem Areas due to the materialist "rigid adherence" to quantification (McGilChrist) and laboratory experiments (Kay Deaux) 
The essay argues that a pervasive researcher bias rooted in materialist ideology has led to several critical issues in the social sciences. A number of "errors and omissions" have emerged within the realm of social sciences, These biases have led to several critical issues: As Claudia Nielsen pointed out, the psychiatrist McGilChrist stated unequivocally that "The scope of inquiry and understanding of the Materialist Doctrine with its rigid adherence to the actually arbitrary principle of quantification and over-emphasis on physiological characteristics is severely restricted and limited in the analyses that can be performed." Seven Problem Areas 

1.	marginalization of symbolism (Rollo May. Elzbieta Halas) in academic research due to a focus on quantification and empirical evidence. – which confirms McGilChrist's argument that materialist doctrine "limits" analyses
2.	Materialist fallacy-maladaptive stereotype that "All spirituality is intangible and unreal" The materialist quantification aspect of materialist doctrine  is what produced the fixation with spirituality "intangible" – which is false. Compassion, music, and grieving are three very tangible aspects if spirituality – just to name three 
3.	Social Psychology's Emphasis on Experimenter-Created Social Groups - Kay Deaux, highlights the fact that social psychology has historically had an "emphasis on experimenter-created social groups" which "precluded most affective displays."- which confirms McGilChrist's argument that materialist methodology "limits analyses 
4.	Allport's 1927 false premise "There is no psychology of groups" The materialist emphasis on laboratory experiments and quantification has sidelined and marginalized social consciousness. In fact, from my research it appears a proper theory of social consciousness does not exist. Ontology – nature of being – does not explain powerful and dynamic movements such as the contemporary tea party movement and anti-scie3nce movement hijacked by Trump. 
5.	Extreme Individualism and the academic abstraction of Free Will leads to a lapse of morals.  Studies by Kathleen Vohs and Jonathan Schooler have shown that when individuals are led to disbelieve in free will, they exhibit lower levels of moral behavior and increased conformity to base instincts. It would seem readily apparent that social relationships have been minimalized and marginalized due to the materialist bias 
6.	Geertz's outmoded definition of religion overlooks crucial aspects like community, identity, and spiritual beliefs - and the need for a more holistic approach to understanding human behavior that acknowledges the importance of symbolism, spirituality, and social context.

Religions are groups and communities.
b.	Identity – and way of life - are very salient and pivotal factors
c.	The teachings of religion are an important aspect of religions.
d.	"Spirit" is pivotal in religious beliefs
e.	Spiritual/religious beliefs are a social consciousness as well as a system of symbols 
f.	Evolutionary Adaptive Selective attention trait as a pivotal psychological function which focuses attention and over-rides competing needs – desires to assure total commitment to hunter-gatherer goals.
Reflections and Commentary 
Iain McGilchrist states that "An increasingly mechanistic, fragmented, decontextualised world, marked by unwarranted optimism mixed with paranoia and a feeling of emptiness, has come about, reflecting, I believe, the unopposed action of a dysfunctional left hemisphere."
Many might think that widespread "wrong thinking" - to use Rehnquist's term – might be improbable – but when you take into consideration the neuroscience consensus that "attention" is pivotal in human consciousness and the readily apparent fact that the widespread acceptance of the assumption that "Quantification equates to science" (though incorrect) which most people likely would internalize unconsciously which would affect their orientation and perspective – unconsciously.