Gender Bias Flashcards
Define gender bias.
The differential treatment/representation of males and females, based on stereotypes not real life differences.
Define androcentrism.
Theories which focus on the male perspective of explaining behaviour.
Define alpha bias.
Maximuises differences between genders, males and females are nothing alike.
Define beta bias.
Minimises differences, males and females are exactly the same.
Give an example of research that had beta bias.
Sperry, he only had male pps and assumed that face recognition was on the right in females because it was on the right in males.
Have females ever been studied in conformity research?
No, it is all based on assumption because females have never been studied in conformity research.
Give a disadvantage of gender bias.
Issues of gender bias often go unchallenged. For example, Darwin’s theory of natural selection suggests that women are choosy in terms of mates.
These views have only recently been challenged by DNA results.
Give a way we can reduce gender bias.
We can reduce gender bias by taking a more feminist approach that attempts to restore the imbalance.
Worrell suggested a number of research criteria to ensure investigations are not gender bias (considering women in the natural settings in which they function). We need to adjust our methods to be more inclusive of women.
Explain how gender bias can also work against males, not just females.
Sometimes alpha bias theories heighten the value of women.
Women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and given treatment than males, it could be that the diagnostic system may be biased towards finding depression amongst women.
The societal expectations/stereotypes of men being able to ‘pull themselves together’ could result in bias in mental health.
