2026-06-08 –, HA Room 2416
In research comparing gender, sexuality, or racial groups, participants identifying outside traditional categories are frequently excluded from analyses or reassigned to more “convenient” categories without their input. These practices are often justified on pragmatic grounds, e.g., concerns about statistical power or appropriateness of drawing inferences from small subgroups. However, such decisions systematically remove marginalized identities from empirical evidence, producing gaps in the literature about some of the most vulnerable populations.
This unconference will present reflections on these analytic decisions and the tensions they raise between research ethics, statistical validity, and practical constraints. Using original data, we will show example strategies we have used to retain participants with low-frequency identities by giving them choice in how their data are used. The session will conclude with a structured discussion with attendees to generate ideas for improving study design, analytic practices, and reporting standards in research involving identity-based group comparisons.
The session fosters diversity and inclusion by directly addressing common analytic practices that exclude or obscure participants with minoritized or low-frequency identities. By incorporating participant preference in decisions about how their data are categorized, analyzed, and reported, the session promotes research practices that better respect participant agency and reduce systemic exclusion from empirical evidence. This encourages researchers to move beyond "convenient" strategies such as case deletion or forced category collapsing, which disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Researcher sensitivity to these issues improves psychological science by strengthening the validity, representation, and value of their empirical findings.
Please note any pre-requisite knowledge/expertise you will expect from attendees (i.e., is the session most appropriate for someone who already has experience with a topic?).:No prior experience is needed
