Gender and culture in psychology

Question 1

What is universality?

Answer 1

When researchers assume findings can be generalised to all genders and cultures

Question 2

What are the three ways in which gender bias can occur?

Answer 2

1. All male samples
2. Male behaviour being seen as standard
3. An overemphasis of biological differences

Question 3

Define androcentrism

Answer 3

Focusing only on males in research

e.g. Milgram’s study

Question 4

What is alpha bias?

Answer 4

Exaggerating the differences between genders

e.g. the evolutionary explanation of relationships

Question 5

What is beta bias?

Answer 5

Minimising the differences between genders

e.g. the fight or flight response (women are more likely to “tend and befriend” according to Lee and Harley)

Question 6

Define ethnocentrism

Answer 6

Inappropriately generalising the values and findings of one culture to another without researching that culture

e.g. Aborigines children being placed into foster care based on the Strange Situation assessment which is inappropriate due to their unique child-rearing practices

Question 7

Define cultural relativism

Answer 7

Considering the culture and context that the behaviour is in, as some behaviour is influenced by cultural norms