Gender and Culture Flashcards
what is universality
the idea that a theory can apply to all people, irrespective of gender and culture
what is bias
a tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way to others - creating distortion
what is gender bias
where views do not justifiably represent the experience of men or women - treatment based on stereotypes rather than reality
what is androcentrism
centered focus on men to the extent of neglection/exclusion of women
why is psychology androcentric
most psychologists = men, theories they produce based on male world view
what two types of bias does androcentrism cause
alpha bias
beta bias
what is alpha bias in reference to gender
theories that overexaggerate/overestimate differences between the sexes
what is beta bias in reference to gender
theories that ignore, minimise or underestimate differences between the sexes
what are the positive effects of eradicating gender differences
would resolve the gender bias issue
what are the negative effects of eradicating gender differences
would itself be a type of beta bias
how can the biological approach be an example of alpha bias
behaviour can be explained by neurochemical/hormonal processes - more women diagnosed w depression, can be explained by different hormone levels
why is the biological approach an example of alpha bias
- exaggerating differences
- men superior for less depression
- rs between hormones and behaviour can be abused against women
how can the psychodynamic theory be an example of alpha bias
oedipus vs electra complex, boys have stronger sense of morality than girls because the conflict is greater
why is the psychodynamic theory an example of alpha bias
overexaggerating differences
suggests girls have a weaker identity
how can milgram’s study be an example of beta bias
used male participants but his conclusions generalised his findings to all
why is milgram’s study an example of beta bias
applying male findings to women assumes there are no differences between the sexes
generally, what are the implications of gender and cultural biases
stereotypes
what is culture
the ideas, customs and social behaviour of particular people or societies
what is universality in reference to culture
the assumption that research findings will generalise globally
what is western bias
when most theories and techniques have a basis in a western world view
why is there a western bias in psychology
most psychologists trained in the west, participants from western cultures
what were Rosenzweig’s findings in regard to western bias
64% of the world’s 56,000 psychology researchers are american
what is cultural bias
a tendency to ignore cultural difference and interpret all situations through the perspective of one’s own culture
what is ethnocentrism
the use of our own ethnic or cultural groups as a basis for judgements about others - emphasising importance of own culture
what types of bias does ethnocentrism lead to
alpha or beta bias
how does ethnocentrism lead to discrimination
we view the behaviours of other cultures that don’t align with our own as abnormal
what is alpha bias in reference to culture
theories assume there are real and enduring differences between cultural groups
what is beta bias in reference to culture
theories that ignore or minimise cultural differences
what are etic and emic types of
approaches
what is an etic approach
one that looks at behaviours from outside of a given culture and attempts to describe behaviours that are universal
what is an emic approach
one that looks within/inside cultures to identify behaviours specific to that culture
how can the issue of an imposed etic be minimised
using cultural relativism
what is cultural relativism
the idea that the things observed in research may only make sense from the perspective of the culture being observed - findings can’t be applied to different cultures - appreciating differences
how can cultural relativism lead to alpha bias
the assumption of real differences can lead psychologists to overlook universals
what is the problem with cultural relativism
can lead to alpha bias
why is margaret mead’s research an example of alpha bias
initially concluded significant differences (alpha) - (fixed by) then realised there are some universals due to biology
how can the gender topic prodvide an example of alpha bias
margaret mead’s research - concluded significant differences between gender in cultures
how can the schizophrenia topic provide an example of beta bias
using statistical infrequency in reference to symptoms (hearing voices) to diagnose
why is the schizophrena topic an example of beta bias
assumes the same rules (statistical infrequency) apply globally - but some cultures hearing voices is common and a good thing
how is Ainsworth’s observation an example of imposed etic
Japanese children were judged as resistant due to seperation anxiety but in their culture this is expected because rarely alone
why is Ainsworth’s observation an example of imposed etic
judgement of attachment was based on child rearing in the US leading to misinterpretation of Japanese attachment styles
