gender bias Flashcards
what is universality
any characteristics, traits or behaviours of human beings that can be applied to all
bias
the tendency to view things in a way that is unbalanced or unfair, exaggerating or ignoring differences that exist between people or groups of people
gender bias
occurs in psychology whenever differences between males and females are either exaggerated or ignored
androcentrism
tendency of psychological research and theory to focus on men, often to the neglect or exclusion of women
alpha bias
tendency to exaggerate differences between men and women
beta bias
tendency to ignore or minimise differences between men and women
Give an example of alpha bias in psychology.
Freud’s theory of psychosexual development suggests boys develop stronger moral values due to the Oedipus complex, while girls are seen as morally inferior.
What is beta bias in psychology?
Beta bias refers to research that minimizes or ignores differences between genders, often assuming findings apply equally to both.
Provide an example of beta bias.
Early “fight or flight” research assumed men and women respond identically to stress, ignoring hormonal differences in women.
What did Taylor et al. (2000) find about stress responses in women?
Women often respond to stress with a “tend and befriend” response, forming social bonds and nurturing others.
What is androcentrism?
Androcentrism is a male-centered view in which men’s experiences are the standard against which all behavior is judged.
Give an example of androcentrism in psychological research.
Diagnostic criteria for mental health disorders often reflect male symptoms, potentially overlooking unique female symptoms.
What is a limitation of gender bias and androcentrism in psychology?
Androcentric research reinforces harmful stereotypes, marginalizing women and portraying them as abnormal (Tavris, 1993).
What is a limitation of psychological research methods related to gender bias?
What is a limitation of psychological research methods related to gender bias?
What did Eagly and Johnson (1990) find about leadership styles in lab vs. field studies?
Lab studies exaggerated gender differences, while field studies showed men and women are more similar in leadership styles.
What is a strength of feminist psychologists’ approach to reducing bias?
Focusing on real-life contexts and qualitative methods provides a comprehensive understanding of women’s contributions (Worrell, 1992).
What is reverse alpha bias, and what is its strength?
Reverse alpha bias emphasizes women’s strengths, such as excelling in learning tasks (Cornwell et al., 2013), and helps challenge stereotypes.
What is a strength of highlighting women’s strengths in psychology?
It challenges traditional male-dominated views and redefines societal perceptions of gender differences positively.
What did Tavris (1993) argue about androcentrism in psychology?
Tavris (1993) argued that male behavior being considered the standard marginalizes women, portraying them as abnormal and reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
What did Eagly and Johnson (1990) discover about leadership styles in men and women?
Eagly and Johnson (1990) found that controlled lab studies highlighted significant gender differences in leadership, but field studies showed men and women to be more similar in their styles.
What did Worrell (1992) propose to reduce gender bias in psychology?
Worrell (1992) suggested studying women in natural and qualitative settings to ensure their experiences are accurately represented and avoid androcentric assumptions.
How did Cornwell et al. (2013) contribute to the idea of reverse alpha bias?
Cornwell et al. (2013) found that women excel in tasks requiring attentiveness, organization, and flexibility, highlighting women’s strengths and challenging traditional stereotypes.
How does Taylor et al. (2000) challenge the universality of the “fight or flight” response?
Taylor et al. (2000) found that women often respond to stress with a “tend and befriend” response, forming social bonds and nurturing others, which contradicts the assumption that stress responses are identical in men and women.
What evidence supports the idea that societal constructs shape gender differences?
Feminist psychologists argue that societal stereotypes, such as associating leadership with men, limit women’s development and encourage boys to associate power with their gender.
How do laboratory studies contribute to alpha bias in psychological research?
Lab studies, like those reviewed by Eagly and Johnson (1990), amplify gender differences by creating artificial environments that exaggerate differences not reflective of real-world dynamics.
What is the implication of Taylor et al.’s (2000) findings for stress research?
Taylor et al.’s findings suggest that ignoring gender-specific stress responses leads to beta bias and invalid generalizations in psychological research.
