Gender Bias - AO3 Flashcards
Feminist psychology … (Alternative approach)
P - One way to counter Androcentrism is to take a feminist perspective.
E - Feminist psychology aims to redress imbalances in research. It agrees there are biological differences but believe that social
stereotypes have much larger contribution to perceived differences.
E- To redress the balance use research which highlights women as inferior to men. Example : Eagly claimed women were less effective leaders than men —-> led to training for women.
L - Demonstrates how feminist psychology seeks to find a way to greater equality.
Bias in research methods … (Criticism)
P - Criticism is that studies are gender biased because the methods used are biased.
E - Rosenthal (1966) found that male experimenters were more friendly to female participants compared to male participants. Led to males performing less well on assigned tasks compared to women.
L - Criticism suggest there are serious issues with the way data is collected as it creates a false picture of male and female differences.
Reverse Alpha Bias … (Alternative Approach)
P - Method to counter gender bias is to develop theories which show the differences between men and women but emphasise the value of women.
E - Cornwell (2013) found that women are better at learning than men because they are more attentive, flexible and organised.
L - Such research challenges the stereotype that in any gender differences the male position must be better.
Avoiding Beta Bias …
P - Equal treatment has given women greater opportunities but may be a disadvantage.
E - Arguing for equality draws attention away from women’s special needs. As in a male dominated society seemingly neutral decisions will benefit the groups with power.
E - Example as equal parental leave ignores the biological demands of pregnancy, which disadvantages women.
L - Suggests we should avoid beta bias in order to ensure significant differences are taken account of .
Assumptions need to be examined … (Criticism)
P - Examples of Gender Bias continue unchallenged in theories.
E - Darwin’s theory of sexual selection which portrays as women as choosy and males as the ones who compete to be chosen has been challenged as being rooted in Victorian ideas about gender roles.
E - DNA evidence supports the idea that women are equally competitive and aggressive when the need arises.
L - Highlights the importance of challenging gender research to ensure research portrays a valid picture of women.
