Gender Bias Flashcards
Gender Bias
Under or over representing one sex
Universality
Conclusion applies to all people regardless of gender
Universality e.g.
Synaptic transmission
Alpha Bias
Exaggerating differences in the sexes
Alpha Bias e.g.
Freud - women don’t experience oedipus conflict and have penis envy therefore struggle identify with their mothers which results in them having a weak superego
Beta Bias
Minimising differences between the sexes
Beta Bias e.g.
Kohlberg’s levels of morality used all male ppts yet applied to all
- Giligan said there are difference in the way moral decisions are made in the genders
Androcentrism
Male behaviour is the norm therefore female behaviour is abnormal when in reality they are just different
Androcentrism e.g.
Kohlberg’s levels of morality states women are at a lower level then men
Essentialism
Extreme alpha bias. Gender differences are inevitable and are fixed due to the environment
Essentialism e.g.
Men don’t give birth and therefore are ill-suited to childcare and shouldn’t go into those professions
Causes of Gender Bias
Sexism in research process
- few female psychologists
- publication bias
Implications of beta bias
demeans groups as don’t fit the ‘norm’
Implications of alpha bias
research maintains discriminatroy practice
Solutions - reflexivity
researchers aware and open about bias
