Gender Bias In Psychology

Question 1

What is gender bias in psychology?

Answer 1

Psychology has historically been a male dominated discipline and many argue that many manor theories reflect this and that the female voice has been marginalised and judged as abnormal.

Question 2

Universality

Answer 2

Psychology claims to have universality, this means that conclusions drawn can be applied to anyone anywhere regardless of time, culture and gender. Many people dispute this claim as they suggest that their views are influenced by their own values and not objective.

Question 3

Gender bias

Answer 3

This is when psychological research offers a view that does not justifiably represent the experience of men or women, usually women.

Question 4

Alpha bias

Answer 4

Researchers exaggerate the differences between the genders, often devaluing women in relation to men. An example of this is the evolutionary explanation of partner preference as it excuses men if they are unfaithful but suggest women should not have their own sexual freedom and women who go against this are abnormal.

Question 5

Beta bias

Answer 5

This is when their is a misrepresentation of of behaviour because researchers minimise gender differences. This often occurs when females are used as participants in a study but the results are still applied to women as well. An example is as his study which only used male participants to study conformity.

Question 6

Androcentrism

Answer 6

This is a possible consequence of beta bias. If we view normal behaviour from what we see from research only using male participants then the behaviour of women which may be different could be seen as abnormal or inferior.

Question 7

Discussion of gender bias, still a problem now

Answer 7

+) Make researchers are still more likely to have their research published then female researchers. Furthermore psychological journals want to sell more so favour researcher that finds differences between the gender then those that find none as its more interesting which could lead to institutional sexism.

+) Gender bias research can give justification for sexism and withholding opportunities from women. In the 1930s some “scientific” research suggested that women who go to university loose energy reducing their chance of conceiving.

+) Many if the gender differences reported are based in the essentialist principle that gender differences are fixed and determined by nature. However in societies in which men and women are more equal such as both being able to go to work and sharing domestic responsibilities the psychological differences are less.

Question 8

Discussion of gender bias, not a problem any more

Answer 8

• ) Many modern researchers challenge their own values and assumptions when conducting studies. One study had a reflection section on how their gender related experiences effected their investigation into the lack of women in accountancy firms.
• ) Criteria has been made to avoid gender bias. Women should be studied within meaningful life contexts, should genuinely participate in the research and diversity within the group of women should be examined, methods that collect qualitative data should be used