Gender Bias Flashcards
Gender bias
Treating an individual or group in a different way from others. In the context of gender bias, psychology research or a theory may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the experience and behaviour of men or women (usually women)
Universality
Any underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all, despite differences of experience and upbringing. Gender bias and culture bias threaten the universality of findings in psychology
Alpha bias
Research that focuses on differences between men and women and therefore tends to present a view that exaggerates these differences
Example of alpha bias and explain it
Alpha bias favours males - Freud claims children in the phallic stage desire their opposite sex parent. Resolved by identification with their same sex parent. But girl’s identification is weaker, creating weaker superego and moral development
Favours females - Chodorow, daughters and mothers are more connected than sons and mothers because of biological similarities - women develop better bonds and empathy for others
EVALUATION: Implications of gender bias
Research that is gender biassed has the potential to confirm discriminatory practises and produce false assumptions about the behaviour of women.
It might offer a scientific justification for denying women opportunities in the workplace or in larger society (due to PMS, for example).
Not only is gender bias in research a methodological issue, but it can also have negative impacts on the opportunities and lives of actual women.
Beta bias
Research that focuses on the similarities between men and women and therefore tends to present a view that ignores or minimises diffferences
Example of beta bias and explain it
Fight or Flight:
Taylor (2006) - suggest that female exhibit a tend and befriend response governed by the hormone oxytocin which is more plentiful in women and reduced the fight or flight response. It is an evolved response for caring for young
Androcentrism
Male centred, when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard (female behaviour is often judge to be ‘abnormal’ or ‘deficient’ by comparison)
Example of androcentrism and explain it
Brescoll and Uhlman - PMS
Feminists object to the category of premenstrual system because it medicalises female emotions e.g anger by explaining these hormonal terms
But anger is often seen as rational response to external pressure
EVALUATION: GENDER BIAS AND SEXISM - criticism
Gender bias in research encourages sexism since it might lead to study questions that fail to take into account the concerns of women because there aren’t enough women in top research positions. The likelihood of published work by male researchers is higher.
Moreover, female volunteers in lab trials have an equal relationship with a researcher, who is typically a man, but who has the authority to declare them mentally unstable and incapable of doing difficult tasks.
This suggests that psychology might be involved in the institutional sexism that breeds bias in research and theory.
EVALUATION: Reflexivity - strength
Researchers are responsive in that they acknowledge how their values influence how they work. Rather than viewing prejudice as a danger to the objectivity of their work, they accept it as a necessary component of the research process.
DAMBRIN and LAMBERT include reflection on how their gender-related experiences impact their comprehension of events in their study on the dearth of women in executive positions in accounting firms.
Such reflexivity is an important development in psychology and could raise awareness of how personalbiases influence the direction of future studies.
EVALUATION: Avoiding gender bias - strength
The prevention of gender bias is suggested by feminist psychologists.
WORRELL offers guidelines for researchers to follow to in order to avoid gender bias. Instead ofbeing the subject of study, women should be actively involved in research and be studied in relevant real-world circumstances.
It would be more beneficial to research the diversity among women’s organisations rather than drawing comparisons between them and men. Lastly, collaborative research methodologies that gather qualitative data need to receive more attention.
Compared to laboratory-based research, this method of conducting study might be better and less gender-biased
