Gender Bias

Question 1

What is universality

Answer 1

Any underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all despite difs of experience and upbringing, threatened by gender and culture bias

Question 2

What is gender bias

Answer 2

When psychological research/theories may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the experience and behaviour of men and women

Question 3

What is beta bias

Answer 3

Theories that ignore/minimise differences between the sexes

Question 4

What is alpha bias

Answer 4

Psychological theories that suggest there are real and enduring differences between men and women, may enhance/undervalue females

Question 5

What is androcentrism

Answer 5

Male centred view, when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard meaning female behaviour is often judged as abnormal/deficient by comparison

Question 6

Two examples of alpha gender bias in research

Answer 6

-Freud in the Oedipus and Electra complex, suggested boys develop a stronger superego than girls so women are morally inferior to men which over exaggerated differences between sexes
-evolutionary psychology, men being dominant and seeking attractiveness and women seeking resources in a mate, however found differences exaggerated in DNA evidence that showed women are equally as competitive as men when the need arises

Question 7

Two examples of beta gender bias in research

Answer 7

-Asch carried out study on male sample and generalised to women
-fight or flight research initially carried out on only male animals and assumed same response for all but research has found females adopt a tend and befriend response instead