Gender Bias*

Question 1

Universality

Answer 1

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.

Question 2

Define gender bias

Answer 2

A bias is a tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way from others. Gender bias is when psychological research or a theory may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the experience and behaviour of men or women (usually women).

Question 3

Define androcentrism

Answer 3

When ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard (meaning tar female behaviour is often judged to be ‘abnormal’ or ‘deficicent’ by comparison).

Question 4

Define alpha bias

Answer 4

Psychological theories that suggest there are real and enduring differences between men and women. These may enhance or undermine members of either sex but typically devalue females.

Question 5

Define beta bias

Answer 5

Theories that ignore or minimise differences between sexes.

Question 6

Why might bias be an inevitable aspect of the research process?

Answer 6

Psychologists are people who possess beliefs and values that have been influences by the social and historical context in which they live.

Question 7

What is the effect of bias in research on psychology’s claims of universality?

Answer 7

It undermines this claim that conculsions drawn can be applied to everyone regardless of time period, gender or culture.

Question 8

What are the two forms of gender bias?

Answer 8

Alpha bias and beta bias

Question 9

What is alpha bias?

Answer 9

When differences between the sexes are exaggerated or overestimated. These differences are presented as real and enduring, fixed and inevitable. The majority of the time these differences are most likely to devalue females in relation to males.

Question 10

Give an example of alpha bias

Answer 10

The sociobiological theory of relationship formation (Wilson 1975).

Question 11

What is the sociobiological throes of relationship formation (Wilson 1975)?

Answer 11

Uses ‘survival efficiency’ to explain human sexual attraction and behaviour.
Sexual promiscuity in males is genetically determined (impregnating as many women as possible raises the chances of his genes being passed on).
Females who engage in the same sexual behaviour are seen as going against their nature (ensure survival of a few offspring is the best way to preserve her genes).
Also an essentialist argument.

Question 12

What is beta bias?

Answer 12

When research ignores, minimises or underestimates differences between men and women. Often a result of female participants not being part of the research process but the findings being applied equally to both genders.

Question 13

Given an example of beta bias

Answer 13

The fight or flight response.
Early research was based solely on male animals (preferred as female hormones fluctuate) and was assumed to be a universal response to threats.
Taylor et al. (2000) suggested female biology has evolved to suppress this response, and be more focused on caring for offspring and forming defensive networks with other females.

Question 14

Give one consequence of beta bias

Answer 14

Androcentrism; when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged from research involving all-male samples and and deviating behaviour is judged as ‘abnormal’, ‘inferior’ or ‘deficient’.
Can result in female behaviour being misunderstood and, at worst, pathologised (seen as psychological instability).

Question 15

Give an example of androcentrism

Answer 15

Feminist commentators have objected to the diagnosis of PMS as it trivialises female experience. It is a social construct the medicalises female emotions, especially anger, by explaining them in hormonal terms. While male anger is seen as a rational response to external pressures. (Bresaola and Uhlman (2008)).

Question 16

Evaluation

What are the implications of gender bias?

Answer 16

May create misleading assumptions about female behaviour, fail to change negative stereotypes and validate discriminatory behaviour. May provide a scientific ‘justification’ to deny women opportunities in the workplace.
THUS, gender bias is not just a methodological problem but can have damaging consequences which can affect the lives and prospects of real women.

Question 17

Evaluation

Why is there sexism within the research process and how is this creating bias in research?

Answer 17

There is a lack of women being appointed at senior researcher level, meaningfemale concerns may not be reflected in research questions.
Male researchers are more likely to have their work published.
Studies that find gender differences are more likely to be published than those that don’t.
Nicolson 1995; lab experiments can disadvantage women.
>psychology may be guilty of supporting institutional sexism that creates bias.

Question 18

Evaluation; sexism within the research process

What did Nicolson 1995 find?

Answer 18

Female participants in lab experiments are put in a situation with a (usually male) researcher who has the power to label them unreasonable, irrational and unable to complete complex tasks.

Question 19

Evaluation

How is reflexivity important in the awareness of gender bias?

Answer 19

Modern researchers are more aware of the effect of their own values and assumptions on their research. Rather than seeing this as a problem, it is accepted by the researcher as a crucial aspect of the research process. Dambrin and Lambert (2008) reflected on how their gender-related experiences influenced their view of their study on the lack of women in executive positions in accountancy firms.

Question 20

Eval

How are gender differences reported by psychologists?

Answer 20

As inevitable and fixed in nature.
1930s; ‘scientific’ research revealed how attending university would shrivel a woman’s ovaries and harm her chances of giving birth
These accounts are often politically motivated arguments hidden as ‘facts’
Creates a double standard in how behaviour is viewed in males and females; as seen by the sociobiological theory of relationship formation