Probability Sample Files (PSF)

The PSF is a subset of eHRAF World Cultures and a special kind of random sample called a stratified random sample. For the PSF sample the world was divided into 60 culture areas (strata) and one case from each area was randomly chosen from a list of societies that met certain data quality control criteria (such as whether one of the ethnographers stayed for more than a year and claimed to be fluent in the native language).

All 60 of the PSF cases are included in the paper, microfiche, and online versions of the HRAF Collection of Ethnography. For the rules used in selecting the sample cases, see Naroll, Raoul. 1967. The proposed HRAF Probability Sample. Behavior Science Notes (now Cross-Cultural Research) 2: 70-80.

The 60 culture sample too large for your purposes? Randomly select a smaller number of societies (at least 20 are recommended).

In eHRAF World Cultures a search query can be refined by sample and subsistence type. This is done after a search in the culture results page.

This table shows all the cultures from the Probability Sample File covered in the eHRAF World Cultures database:

SEQ	REGION	SUBREGION	CULTURE	OWC	SUBSISTENCE TYPE
1	Africa	Southern Africa	Lozi	FQ09	other subsistence combinations
2	Oceania	Polynesia	Tikopia	OT11	horticulturalists
3	Africa	Northern Africa	Shluh	MW11	intensive agriculturalists
4	Middle America and the Caribbean	Maya Area	Tzeltal	NV09	horticulturalists
5	Africa	Central Africa	Mbuti	FO04	hunter-gatherers
6	Asia	South Asia	Andamans	AZ02	hunter-gatherers
7	South America	Central Andes	Aymara	SF05	horticulturalists
8	Europe	British Isles	Highland Scots	ES10	other subsistence combinations
9	South America	Amazon and Orinoco	Yanoama	SQ18	horticulturalists
10	Asia	Southeast Asia	Iban	OC06	horticulturalists
11	Oceania	Melanesia	Trobriands	OL06	horticulturalists
12	Asia	East Asia	Taiwan Hokkien	AD05	intensive agriculturalists
13	Oceania	Australia	Aranda	OI08	hunter-gatherers
14	Asia	North Asia	Chukchee	RY02	pastoralists
15	South America	Southern South America	Ona	SH04	hunter-gatherers
16	Middle East	Middle East	Kurds	MA11	pastoralists
17	Asia	South Asia	Khasi	AR07	other subsistence combinations
18	Africa	Eastern Africa	Maasai	FL12	pastoralists
19	South America	Eastern South America	Bororo	SP08	hunter-gatherers
20	North America	Eastern Woodlands	Iroquois	NM09	horticulturalists
21	Europe	Scandinavia	Saami	EP04	pastoralists
22	North America	Arctic and Subarctic	Copper Inuit	ND08	hunter-gatherers
23	Oceania	Polynesia	Lau Fijians	OQ06	other subsistence combinations
24	Asia	Southeast Asia	Eastern Toraja	OG11	horticulturalists
25	Africa	Southern Africa	Bemba	FQ05	horticulturalists
26	North America	Northwest Coast and California	Tlingit	NA12	hunter-gatherers
27	Asia	South Asia	Sinhalese	AX04	intensive agriculturalists
28	South America	Northwestern South America	Kogi	SC07	horticulturalists
29	Africa	Western Africa	Hausa	MS12	other subsistence combinations
30	Middle America and the Caribbean	Northern Mexico	Tarahumara	NU33	agro-pastoralists
31	Africa	Eastern Africa	Somali	MO04	pastoralists
32	South America	Southern South America	Mataco	SI07	primarily hunter-gatherers
33	Europe	Southeastern Europe	Serbs	EF06	intensive agriculturalists
34	Asia	North Asia	Yakut	RV02	other subsistence combinations
35	North America	Plains and Plateau	Pawnee	NQ18	primarily hunter-gatherers
36	Africa	Western Africa	Kanuri	MS14	intensive agriculturalists
37	Africa	Eastern Africa	Amhara	MP05	intensive agriculturalists
38	Africa	Western Africa	Tiv	FF57	horticulturalists
39	Asia	South Asia	Santal	AW42	intensive agriculturalists
40	Africa	Eastern Africa	Ganda	FK07	intensive agriculturalists
41	Asia	East Asia	Korea	AA01	intensive agriculturalists
42	North America	Plains and Plateau	Klamath	NR10	hunter-gatherers
43	Oceania	Melanesia	Kapauku	OJ29	intensive agriculturalists
44	South America	Eastern South America	Guaraní	SM04	other subsistence combinations
45	South America	Amazon and Orinoco	Tukano	SQ19	other subsistence combinations
46	Africa	Central Africa	Azande	FO07	horticulturalists
47	North America	Plains and Plateau	Blackfoot	NF06	hunter-gatherers
48	Asia	South Asia	Garo	AR05	horticulturalists
49	South America	Eastern South America	Bahia Brazilians	SO11	intensive agriculturalists
50	Middle America and the Caribbean	Central America	Kuna	SB05	horticulturalists
51	Africa	Western Africa	Wolof	MS30	horticulturalists
52	Africa	Northern Africa	Libyan Bedouin	MT09	pastoralists
53	Asia	Southeast Asia	Ifugao	OA19	intensive agriculturalists
54	Oceania	Micronesia	Chuuk	OR19	other subsistence combinations
55	South America	Amazon and Orinoco	Saramaka	SR15	other subsistence combinations
56	Africa	Western Africa	Akan	FE12	horticulturalists
57	North America	Arctic and Subarctic	Ojibwa	NG06	hunter-gatherers
58	Africa	Western Africa	Dogon	FA16	intensive agriculturalists
59	Asia	Southeast Asia	Central Thai	AO07	intensive agriculturalists
60	North America	Southwest and Basin	Hopi	NT09	intensive agriculturalists

Human Relations Area Files

Cultural information for education and research

Probability Sample Files (PSF)

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