Gender Bias Flashcards
What is Androcentrism?
When male views & behaviour viewed as ‘norm’ & used to explain both sexes’ behaviour
Also occurs when female behaviour is different & seen as abnormal/inferior
EXAMPLE - Penis envy
What is alpha bias?
Research which exaggerates differences between cultures/genders & presented as fixed & inevitable
EXAMPLE - Psychoanalytic approach (girls don’t identify as strong with mums as boys do with dads, thus develop weaker superegos)
What is beta bias?
Research which minimises/ignores differences between cultures/genders
EXAMPLE - Fight/flight response (research uses male animals as female behaviour affected by hormonal changes due to ovulation) & ignorance of tend/befriend for women
What is the effect of ethnocentrism, alpha & beta bias?
Create & perpetuate stereotypes
Make cultures/genders seem more different/similar than they are
What are issues with gender debates in psychological research?
ISSUES OFTEN GO UNCHALLENGED - Darwin’s theory of sexual selection: women choosy partners -
DNA evidence women equally as competitive as men when need arises
CREATE MISLEADING ASSUMPTIONS - Freud claimed women had weaker superego & moral dev.
Reinforces negative stereotypes & may give reason to deny women opportunities in society
SAMPLES WITH ALL-MALE PARTICIPANTS - fight/flight response research falsely generalised
If ‘norm’ based on findings from male-dominated research, shouldn’t be generalised to everyone
MUM
What are impacts with gender debates in psychological research?
DEVELOP THEORIES EMPHASISING VALUE OF WOMEN - Cornwell et al. (2013) noted females better at learning, more attentive & organised
Helps reduce/challenge stereotypes, important in reducing gender bias
RESTORE IMBALANCE IN THEORIES/RESEARCH - feminist psych accepts biological differences between sexes - Eagly (1978) claimed females less effective leaders than men
Purpose of Eagly’s claim was to help researchers develop training programmes aimed at increasing number of female leaders in world
Outline androcentrism
Alpha & Beta bias = consequences of androcentrism
American Psychological Association published list of 100 most influential psychologists of 20th century & only 6 women
Suggests psych traditionally subject produced by men, for men & about men - androcentric perspective
