1. Gender Bias AO1 Flashcards
What do researchers seek?
Universality but bias may be inevitable
What is universality?
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
Name one form of bias
Gender bias
What is gender bias?
Psychological theory and research may not accurately represent the experience and behaviour of men and women
What is alpha bias?
Exaggerates differences - differences between the sexes are usually presented as real, enduring, fixed and inevitable
What does alpha bias often do?
More likely to devalue females in relation to males
What is an example of alpha bias
Sociobiological theory of relationship formation
What did Wilson explain?
Human sexual attraction through ‘survival efficiency’
What is survival efficiency?
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
What is a females best chance to preserve her genes
To ensure the survival of the relatively few offspring she may produce.
Explain sexual promiscuity in males
Sexual promiscuity in males is naturally selected and genetically determined
Explain sexual promiscuity in females
females who engage in the same behaviour as men are seen as going against their ‘nature’
What can sexual promiscuity be classed as
An exaggeration of the differences between the sexes - alpha bias
What is Beta bias?
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
Give an example of Beta bias
Fight and flight response
Explain research into fight or flight
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
Explain Taylor et al’s research
Suggested female biology has evolved to inhibit fight or flight response, shifting attention towards caring for offspring and forming defensive networks with other females
What do females tend to do in a fight or flight situation
Females exhibit a tend and befriend response governed by the hormone oxytocin
Name a consequence of Beta bias
Androcentrism
What is androcentrism?
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
What does androcentrism lead to?
Female behaviour being misunderstood and even seen as a sign of illness
Give an example of androcentrism
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
