1. Gender Bias AO1

Question 1

What do researchers seek?

Answer 1

Universality but bias may be inevitable

Question 2

What is universality?

Answer 2

A psychologist possess beliefs influenced by the social and historical context within which they live.

May undermine psychologists claims to discover facts about human behaviour that are objective, value free and consistent across time and culture

Question 3

Name one form of bias

Answer 3

Gender bias

Question 4

What is gender bias?

Answer 4

Psychological theory and research may not accurately represent the experience and behaviour of men and women

Question 5

What is alpha bias?

Answer 5

Exaggerates differences - differences between the sexes are usually presented as real, enduring, fixed and inevitable

Question 6

What does alpha bias often do?

Answer 6

More likely to devalue females in relation to males

Question 7

What is an example of alpha bias

Answer 7

Sociobiological theory of relationship formation

Question 8

What did Wilson explain?

Answer 8

Human sexual attraction through ‘survival efficiency’

Question 9

What is survival efficiency?

Answer 9

It is in a male’s interests to try and impregnate as many females as possible to increase the chances of his genes being passed on to the next generation

Question 10

What is a females best chance to preserve her genes

Answer 10

To ensure the survival of the relatively few offspring she may produce.

Question 11

Explain sexual promiscuity in males

Answer 11

Sexual promiscuity in males is naturally selected and genetically determined

Question 12

Explain sexual promiscuity in females

Answer 12

females who engage in the same behaviour as men are seen as going against their ‘nature’

Question 13

What can sexual promiscuity be classed as

Answer 13

An exaggeration of the differences between the sexes - alpha bias

Question 14

What is Beta bias?

Answer 14

Ignoring or understanding differences between men and women often occurs when female participants are not included in the research process - it’s assumed that research findings apply equally to both sexes

Question 15

Give an example of Beta bias

Answer 15

Fight and flight response

Question 16

Explain research into fight or flight

Answer 16

Early research into fight or flight was based on male animals because female hormones fluctuate - the fight or flight response was assumed to be a universal response to a threatening situation

Question 17

Explain Taylor et al’s research

Answer 17

Suggested female biology has evolved to inhibit fight or flight response, shifting attention towards caring for offspring and forming defensive networks with other females

Question 18

What do females tend to do in a fight or flight situation

Answer 18

Females exhibit a tend and befriend response governed by the hormone oxytocin

Question 19

Name a consequence of Beta bias

Answer 19

Androcentrism

Question 20

What is androcentrism?

Answer 20

If our understanding of normal behaviour comes from research involving all male samples, any behaviour that deviates from this standard is judged as abnormal or inferior

Question 21

What does androcentrism lead to?

Answer 21

Female behaviour being misunderstood and even seen as a sign of illness

Question 22

Give an example of androcentrism

Answer 22

Females object to the category of pre-menstrual syndrome because it medicalises female emotions (anger) by explaining them in hormonal terms, male anger is often seen as a rational response to external pressures