Gender Bias

Question 1

What is gender bias?

Answer 1

• Gender bias is the differential treatment and representation of males and females based on stereotypes and not on real differences.
• It could be alpha bias which means the differences in behaviours between both sexes of a theory are exaggerated
• It could be beta bias which means the differences n behaviour between sexes of a theory are ignored.

Question 2

What is Alpha Bias?

Answer 2

Alpha bias refers to theories which exaggerate the differences between males and females

Question 3

What is Beta Bias?

Answer 3

Beta Bias refers to theories that ignore the differences between males and females and assume that evidence supporting a theory apply equally to everyone

Question 4

What is androcentrism?

Answer 4

Theories and research which are focused on males only.

Question 5

Identify research or a theory that display Beta Bias and explain how

Answer 5

-The research into the fight or flight response is beta bias as majority of research has been conducted on male species and it is assumed that the findings can also be applied to females. However this is not the case as research evidence has shown us that females produce a tend and befriend response towards the stressor which is the opposite of a males stress response which is to either directly confront the stressor or run away.

Question 6

Identify research or a theory that display Alpha Bias and explain how?

Answer 6

-Freuds psychoanalytical approach is alpha bias. Freud suggested girls do not suffer from the same oedipal complex that boys would, therefore they do not identify with their mothers as strongly as boys identify with their fathers which results in them developing weaker superegos. This over exaggerates the development of superegos between both sexes.

Question 7

Identify any theory, research or approach that is androcentric and explain how?

Answer 7

Research into social influence is androcentric as majority of the research such as Zimbardos conformity to social roles, Millgrams study on obedience and Asch’s study into conformity are all focused on males as the participants that made up the sample were all male.

Question 8

AO3 for Gender Bias and how to prevent it?

Answer 8

-Scandinavia( political views, findings, not published, burying ground breaking evidence)

• Beta bias (Egalitarian policies),
• Quotas (computer engineers PhD)