Gender bias Flashcards
What is universality?
Underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all
What is gender bias?
Research/theories do not justifiably represent experiences and behaviour of men and women
What is androcentism?
- Male-centred, when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard
- Alpha and beta bias= consequence of androcentrisism
What is alpha bias?
- Research focuses on differences between men and women, presenting a view that exaggerates these differences
- Differences= fixed, inevitable- devalue women
What is beta bias?
- Research focuses on similarities between men and women, presenting a view that ignores/minimises differences
- Occurs when we assume findings equally apply to men and women/when women have been excluded from research process
- Result in misinterpretation of behaviour
What is an example of alpha bias favouring men?
- Freud’s psychosexual stages- phallic= desire for opposite gender parent
- Boys= castration anxiety resolved by identifying with father
- Girls= identification is weaker- superego is weaker- morally inferior
What is an example of alpha bias favouring women?
- Chodrow- mothers and daughters have greater connectedness than mother and sons due to biological similarity, so women develop better ability to bond and emphasise
What is an example of beta bias misinterpreting women?
- Fight or flight favours male animals in research, as female behaviour affected by hormone change (ovulation)- assume response is same
- Taylor- women= tend and befriend- love hormone oxytocin is plentiful in women= stress response
What is an example of beta bias misinterpreting men?
- Bolwby- attachment research suggests emotional care provided solely by mothers
- BUT, Field suggest role of the father= same
How has women’s behaviour been treated
(Androcentricism)
- Misunderstood, pathologised
- Premenstrual syndrome= diagnosis as it medicalises women’s emotion BUT male anger= rational response to external pressure (not medicalised)
Limitation-
I- Biological vs social explanations
D- Gender differences presented as fixed/enduring when they are not. Maccoby and Jacklin- several studies conclude girls have superior verbal ability, and boys= spatial ability- difference= hard-wired. Joel- scanning found no sex difference in brain processing
E- Suggests we should be wary of accepting research as bio facts, when they may be best explained by social stereotypes
Strength-
I- We should not avoid studying gender differences in the brain
D- Ingalhalikar suggests popular stereotypes that women are better at multitasking have some bio truth. Woman’s brain benefits from better connections between LH and RH
E- Suggests bio difference occur
Limitation-
I- Promotes sexism in research
D- Women= underrepresented in uni departments- science. Murphy- although majority of psych undergrad is women, lecturers= mainly men. Research more likely to be conducted by men. Nicolson- male researchers expect women to be irrational, so women underperform in studies
E- Means insitutional structures/ methods produce gender biased findings
Limitation-
I- Research challenging gender bias is unpublished
D- Formanowicz analysed 1000+ articles on gender bias (8 yr period)/ Found research funded less and published in less pretentious journals,. so fewer scholars aware of it/apply. Held true vs other biases (culture)
E- Suggests gender bias may not be taken seriously
Evaluation extra-
I- Understanding bias
Strength- Modern researchers recognise effects of own value/assumption on work (reflexive)- work to embrace bias as an issue that threatens objectivity
Limitation- Creates misleading assumption about female behaviour, fail to challenge -ve stereotypes, validates discriminatory practice
E- Suggests gender bias may add extra dimension to research
