Gender bias Flashcards
What is gender bias
Gender bias is when an individual or group is treated in a different way from others due to their gender. Research may offer a view that doesn’t represent the experience of men or women.
What is universality?
Underlying characteristics of human behaviour that can be applied to all. Gender bias threatens the universality of findings.
What is alpha bias?
When psychological theories suggest there are real differences between men and women. This may enhance or undervalue members of either sex, but it is normally undervaluing women.
What is beta bias?
Theories that ignore or minimise the differences between the sexes.
What is an example of alpha bias?
The sociobiological theory of relationship formation as men try to impregnate as many people as possible to pass on his genes whereas women are expected to protect the few offspring they have. If females engage in the same behaviour as men, they are regarded as going against nature. Therefore the differences have been exaggerated.
What is an example of beta bias?
Early research into the fight or flight response was conducted only on males and this behaviour was assumed to be universal. However, later research into fight or flight has found that females are more likely to form defensive networks to protect their offspring.
What is an example of beta bias?
Early research into the fight or flight response was conducted only on males and this behaviour was assumed to be universal. However, later research into fight or flight has found that females are more likely to form defensive networks to protect their offspring.
What is androcentrism?
When normal behaviour is judged according to a male standard and so female behaviour is often deficient by comparison.
What is an example of androcentrism?
When diagnosing pre-menstrual syndrome it medicalises female emotions like anger and explains this using hormones. On the other hand, male anger is seen as a rational response to external pressure.
What are the strengths of identifying gender bias in psychology?
Reflexivity is now an important part as researchers recognise the effects of their assumptions and how their experience may have impacted their results.
Feminist commentators put forward criteria to avoid gender bias, including participation in research, diversity within groups of women rather than making comparisons to men and collecting qualitative data.
What are the limitations of gender bias in research?
It can have implications on society and justify discrimination based on gender.
There is sexism within the research process and therefore there is institutional sexism which creates biases in the theories.
Many of the differences reported are based on the essentialist perspective that gender difference is inevitable and therefore these politically motivated arguments are changing the way behaviour is viewed.
