Issues And Debates Flashcards
Gender bias
Psychological research/ theory that offers a view that doesn’t justifiably represent
experience and behav of men/ women (usually women). E.g the representation of one gender only.
Bias
tendency to treat one indiv/group in a different way from others
Universality
underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all, despite differences of experience and upbringing
Alpha bias
attempt to exaggerate/overestimate the differences between genders
Beta bias
attempt to downplay/underestimate the differences between genders
Androcentrism
When men’s behav is standard against which women’s behav is compared. Female behav is often judged to be ‘abnormal’, ‘deficient’ ‘inferior’ by comparison
Alpha e.g
Mate preference:
- men want youth + attractiveness genetically strong evolutionary POV)
- women want money + status to be provided for
Human biological programmes :
- men ‘biologically programmed’ to cheat
- women ‘biologically programmed’ survival of genes
Beta e.g
Flight/fight:
- research from male animals + assumed universal behav to cheat
- female biology more recently found to inhibit f/f response to tend + befriend ( form defensive network)
Taylor et al (2000)
Androcentrism e.g
Masochistic personality disorder - self sacrifice, rejecting opportunity for pleasure, playing the martyr, all e.g of female role
Pre- menstrual syndrome - stereotypes + trivialised female experience, social construction which medicalises female emotions, especially anger by explaining in hormone terms, male anger is often seen as a rational response to external pressures
Gender bias evaluation (stereotypes)
P - Gender-biased research can create misleading assumptions of female behav, fail challenge neg stereotypes + validate discriminatory practices
E - using male behav as “standard” female behav like pre-menstrual syndrome/postnatal depression is seen as abnormal.
E - Psychological research may (unknowingly) provide way for male dominated society = deny women opportunities in workplace/wider society
I - gender bias in research not just methodological problem but may have damaging consequences for women in real world
Gender bias evaluation (sexism)
P - may occur in the research process as a result of sexism
E - lack of women who are appointed at senior research levels
E -means female concerns may not be reflected in research questions that are asked
I - Denmark et al (1988) argued this means psychology may be guilty of supporting form of institutional sexism creating bias in theory + research.
Gender bias evaluation (reduce impact of biological differences)
P - Feminist psychology accepts there are blological differences between males
+ females but looks at how to reduce these differences
E - Eagly (1978) claims that females are less effective leaders than males
E - research concluded there needed to be development of training programmes to reduce lack of female leaders in world
I - demonstrates how recognising gender bias can improve individuals’ experiences
Ethnocentrism
- type of cultural bias involving judging other cultures by standards and values of one’s own culture
- lead to assumption of one ethnic group being superior and their behav is norm
Cultural relativism
idea that human behav can only be meaningful and understood within specific social and cultural contexts
Imposed etic
test, measure or theory devised in one culture that is used to explain behav in another culture
Collectivist
Refers to cultures like India and China that said to be more conformist and group-orientated
Individualist
Refers to Western countries (like US) that thought to be more independent
Etic Approach
Studying behav across many cultures to find universal human behavs
Culture bound syndromes
Groups of syndromes classified as treatable illnesses in certain cultures that are not recognised as such in the West
Emic approach
Studying cultures in isolation by identifying behavs that are specific to that culture
Problem about culture bias
- psychological research/theories is usually proposed by white middle-class men and performed historically on them
- despite restricted access to diff parts of world, many psychs believe they have discovered facts about human behav r universal. Ash and Miligram found diff results of their study in other countries
- from the viewpoint of a 1 culture, another culture may find the cultural differences abnormal
E.g of ethnocentrism
Strange situation:
- suggested type b was ideal attachment due to behav demonstrated by American infant
- led to misinterpretation of child rearing practises in other cultures like Germany
- ss is usually inappropriate attachemnr measure for non-US kids
E.g of imposed etic
Strange Situation :
- assuming ss was he norm for classifying attachment, Ainsworth imposed her own cultural understanding onto the rest of world
Berry on the emic/Etic approach
- Etic approach - looks at universal behav from outside of given culture and attempt to describe + explain those behav that r universal
- emic approach - looks at behav from within given cultural and identifies behav specific to that culture
Berry’s argument
- psych has been guilty of imposing Etic approach. Theories/models/concepts thought to be universal despite coming from emic research from 1 single culture
- suggest psychs to be more mindful of cultural relativism of their research + discovered concepts may be understandable to culture discovered within. Recognition of cultural relativism can reduce culture bias
Cultural relativism and mental health e.g
Schizophrenic auditory hallucinations - (west Africa/ uk)
Anorexia - not found in non western cultures
Brain fag - difficulty concentrating, remembering + thinking (west Africa)
Culture bias evaluation (culturally diversity impacts)
P - heightened awareness of cultural diversity led to development of ‘indigenous psychologies’: theories drawing explicitly on particular experiences of people in diff cultural contexts.
E - 1 example is Afrocentrism, movement which suggests as all black people have their roots in Africa, theories about them must recognise African context of behavs + attitudes.
E - an example of emic approach, which emphasises uniqueness of every culture and looks at behav from inside particular cultural system
I - led to emergence of theories more relevant to the lives + cultures of people not only in Africa, but also those far removed from their African origins
Culture bias evaluation ( cultural relative research)
P - Not all psychological research is culturally relative as there are thought to be some universal behaviours
E - Caregiver infant interactions such as interactional synchrony are thought to be universal.
E - however contemporary psychs are more open-minded + well-travelled than previously, and have increased understanding of other cultures at both personal + professional level. E.g, international psych conferences increase exchange of ideas between psychologists
C- This has helped to reduce ethnocentrism in psychology and enabled a more nuanced understanding and appreciation of cultural relativism
Culture bias Evaluation (DSM)
P - There has been effective changes to minimise cultural relativism
E Since 1994 the DSM has included a short appendix on culture-bound syndromes found in other parts of the world. It now includes illnesses such as brain fag and koro. E - Early versions of the American DSM +B system ignored mental disorders that are found mainly or exclusively in non-American cultures showing that psychiatrists are becoming aware of their cultural bias and are working to reduce it
I - this allows dsm to accurately and reliably used for valid diagnosis
Ethical guidelines
set of principles set out by BPS to help psychologists behave honestly and with integrity.
Ethical issues
Arise when conflict exists between parti’s rights in research studies and
researcher’s goals to produce authentic, valid and worthwhile data
Ethical implications
impact that psychological research - rights of other people, especially parti. This includes, at societal level influencing public policy and/or in way in which certain groups of people are regarded.
Socially sensitive studies
Studies where potential consequences/ implications either directly for parti in research or for class of indivs represented by research
