Issues And Debates

Question 1

Universality

Answer 1

Any underlying characteristics of human beings that is capable of being applied to all despite differences of experience and upbringing.
Gender and cultural bias threatens this.

Question 2

Gender bias

Answer 2

Theory or research may offer a view that does not justifiably represent the behaviour of men or women.

Question 3

Alpha bias

Answer 3

Research that focuses on differences between men and women and therefore tends to present a view that exaggerates these differences in behaviour.

Question 4

Beta bias

Answer 4

Theories that ignore or minimise the differences between the sexes.

[These theories often assume that the findings from males can be equally applied to females.]

Question 5

Androcentrism

Answer 5

Male-centred: when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard, meaning that the female behaviour is often judged as ‘abnormal’ or ‘deficient’ by comparison

Question 6

Consequences of gender bias

Answer 6

• Scientifically misleading
• Upholding stereotypical assumptions
• Validating sex discrimination

Question 7

Example of alpha bias

Answer 7

Bowlby’s monotropic theory; evolutionary theory of relationships

Question 8

Positive consequences of alpha bias

Answer 8

• It has led to some theorists (e.g. Gilligan) to assert the worth and valuation of ‘feminine qualities’.
• It has led to healthy criticism of cultural values that praise certain ‘male’ qualities such as aggression and individualism as desirable, adaptive and universal.

Question 9

Negative consequences of alpha bias

Answer 9

• Focus on differences between genders leads to the similarity within genders, thus ignores the many ways in which women are different from each other.
• Can sustain prejudice and stereotypes

Question 10

Example of beta bias

Answer 10

Kohlberg’s theory of moral development; Milgram’s original study