Gender and Culture in Psychology

Question 1

universality

Answer 1

the assumption research can be applied to everyone everywhere, regardless of time, culture and gender

Question 2

bias

Answer 2

distortion in representation of a group/data, with a biased view leaning towards a subjective opinion rather than an objective reality

Question 3

gender bias

Answer 3

a distorted view of behaviours that may be typical/atypical of men or women so men or women may be misrepresented

Question 4

alpha bias

Answer 4

research exaggerates differences between men and women

Question 5

beta bias

Answer 5

research ignores/underestimates/minimises differences between men and women

Question 6

example of alpha bias

Answer 6

Freud claiming identification process is weaker in females as they don’t experience castration anxiety so they are morall inferior

Question 7

example of beta bias

Answer 7

levels of conformity in men represent conformity in all people (Asch)

Question 8

androcentrism

Answer 8

research centred on men so ‘normal’ behaviour judged according to male standard therefore female behaviour often judged abnormal

Question 9

example of androcentrism

Answer 9

male anger seen as rational response to external pressure so female anger less accepted nad instead concets like PMS emerged

Question 10

5 ways to avoid gender bias

Answer 10

1. promoting universality (men and women more similar than different)
2. study women within meaningful real life concepts and participants not objects of study
3. examine diveristy in groups of women not comparing men and women
4. emphasise collaborative RMs collecting qualitative data
5. focus on research in female-dominated areas

Question 11

culture bias

Answer 11

tedency to judge everyone based on own cultural assumptions, ignoring effects cultrural differences may have on behaviour, thus distorting your judgement

Question 12

WEIRD nations

Answer 12

• westernised
• educated
• industrialised
• rich
• democratic

Question 13

ethocentrism

Answer 13

judging others by values/standards of own culture, including potential beliefs ab superiority of own culture

Question 14

example of ethnocentrism

Answer 14

AInsworth’s strange situation reflecting norms/values of Western society

Question 15

cultrural relativism

Answer 15

idea behaviour can only properly meaningful and understood in context of norms/values of society/culture it occurs in

Question 16

2 examples of imposed etic

Answer 16

1. Ainsworth
2. definitions of abnormality

Question 16

etic approach

Answer 16

researchers look at behaviour from outside a culture and try apply them universally

Question 17

7 ways to avoid cultural bias

Answer 17

1. don’t extrapolate findings/theories to cultures not represented in sample
2. use researchers familiar with culture being studied
3. do cross-cultural research not research just in one cultrure
4. don’t assume universal norms/stnadards across differnt cultures
5. be sensitive to cultural norms/standards when designing research/reporting findings
6. emic approach
7. reflexive approach

Question 18

emic approach

Answer 18

studying one culture to understood that culture

Question 19

reflexive approach

Answer 19

constantly reflecting on own biases wen carrying out research