I&D- gender bias

Question 1

Define gender bias

Answer 1

Gnder is the different treatments and representation of males and females based on stereotypes and not real differences

Question 2

define Alpha bias

Answer 2

Alpha bias is when there’s an exaggeration of gender differences in theories of research- leads to a gender being devalued

Question 3

Define Gynocentrism

Answer 3

Theories focused on only females, which excludes males

Question 4

define Androcentrism

Answer 4

Theories focused on males, which excludes females

Question 5

define Beta bias

Answer 5

Beta bias is when gender differences are completely ignored or minimised
Leads to questions whether the findings can be applied to the other gender

Question 6

define Universality

Answer 6

aims to make theories that aim to explain behaviour for all so it must apply to everyone which may show the real differences of males and females

Question 7

define bias

Answer 7

Someone’s view is skewed a certain way

Question 8

name the three Beta bias researches

Answer 8

1. Asch’s line study -123 male ppts- conformity
2. Zimbardo’s prison study- 22 males- conforming to social roles- supports a situational explanation of behaviour
3. Fight of Flight Stress Response- male animals as they had less hormone variation- assumed females would be the same but Taylor et al 2000, challenged it and discovered they use tend and befriend as it ensures survival of offspring

Question 9

name the Alpha bias research

Answer 9

Freud’s psychoanalytic theory- viewed females as failed males
stated girls don’t suffer the same oedipal conflict as boys, so don’t identify with their mother’s as strongly as boys identify with their fathers, therefore developed weaker superegos

Question 10

Explain a study that criticised kohlberg’s moral development research, to suggest how research can have Universality and not be androcentic

Answer 10

Carol Gillian (1982) research found her F favoured care orientation, M - justice orientation, this shows a difference that was not bias

Question 11

Reduce gender bias is important
Name 3 ways a researcher can reduce gender bias

Answer 11

• F and M researchers
• Appropriate procedure for both genders
  -use reflexivity to appreciate potentially bias findings

Researchers recognise their effects of their values on their work (reflexivity).

Question 12

AO3
Gender bias has ———— effects/implications on the gender being ——

Answer 12

P- Research that has gender bias findings —> neg implications on excluded gender
Eg. Females live in a androcentric world so findings can be misleading if sample is all males.
E- eg. 123 males in Asch’s line study
E- Misleading assumptions about females occur due to findings being only a males judgement,
L- As a result women suffers with suffering with depression/ PTSD.

Question 13

AO3 para 2:
Research having b—— m—————

Answer 13

P- Research criticism is using biased methodology which leads to gender bias results.
E- Rosenthal found M researchers - more pleasant to F ppts.
E- Therefore, findings will be biased due to the ppts being treated differently.
L- Negative impact on performance of male ppts in the tasks, reinforced the importance of researchers treating all ppts equally so they have the same experience to reduce skewed results.

Question 14

AO3
Taking a feminist perspective counters androcentric results

Answer 14

P- a way to counter Androcentrism - take a feminist perspective to fix the imbalance in psychological research.
E- Study claims that females are less effective leaders than males. Having knowledge of this should encourage female training programmes to increase number of of female leaders
E- Accepting that there’s biological differences between M and F, should be used to try benefit females researchers in psychology.
L- The impact of feminist psychology - leads to better understanding of gender differences and use this to improve equality.

Question 15

AO3
Gender bias - argued that research having beta bias, is worse than alpha bias
beta bias his ignoring differences and assuming that research on men applies equally to females

Answer 15

P- Gender bias - argued that research having beta bias, is worse than alpha bias.
beta bias= is ignoring differences and assuming that research on men applies equally to females
E- For example, equal parental leave igonres females biological demands such as childbirth and breastfeeding
E- This shows that ignoring gender differences- lead to females being disadvantaged if given equal treatment
L- Therefore suggesting- beta bias should be avoided- so differences are taken into account