Issues and Debates Flashcards
(Pg)Gender and Culture in Psychology: Gender Bias
Universality
Alpha Bias
Beta Bias
Androcentrism
Define Universality
A characteristic that can be applied to all
Define Gender Bias
Research or theory that may not be representative of men or women
Define Alpha Bias
When a theory exaggerates differences between genders
An example of alpha bias favouring men
Freud’s theory of psychosexual development
- Boys at an age will identify with his father
- But a girls eventual identification with the same sex parent is weaker.
- He suggests women have a weaker Superego
An example of alpha bias favouring women
Chodorow - daughter and mum have better connections than son because of biological similarity. Reason why women have better bonds with others.
Define Beta Bias
When a theory ignores differences between genders
An example of Beta Bias
-Fight or flight response was assumed both genders react the same in threatening situations
- Shelley ‘friend and befriend’ caused by oxytocin in women
Define Androcentrism
Male behaviour is considered to be the norm and everything is judged to their standards.
Androcentrism examples
- 6/100 most influential psy are women so men lead
- Women’s behaviour misunderstood
-Blame women anger on hormones but mens anger is rational
(N) Biological versus social explanations
- Gender difference is often fixed (alpha bias)
- Maccoby and Jacklin girls have superior verbal ability whereas boys have better spatial ability this has become fact.
- Daphne found no sex difference in brain structure
- we accept as facts but is is social stereotypes.
(N) Gender- biased Research
-Research challenging gender bias may not be published.
-Magdalena- gender bias less mentioned by prestigious journals. Scholars became unaware of it.
- Gender bias may not be taken as seriously as other forms of bias
(N) Sexism in research
-Gender bias - sexism
-(Murphy) Undergraduate students women but lectures are more likely to be women.
- So more studies on men bad for females
- Nicolson male researcher expect women to be irrational and unable to complete task.
-Institutional structure may be gender bias.
(Pg)Gender and culture in Psychology: Cultural Bias
Universality and bias
Ethnocentrism
Cultural relativism
L- Classic Studies
S- Cultural Psychology
L- Ethnic Stereotyping
Universality and Bias
Henrich- 68% participants from American
-98% industrialised nations
80% psychology undergraduates
-WEIRD - Westernised, Educated from Industrialised, Rich Democracies.
-They set the norm everyone else abnormal
Define Ethnocentrism
Judging other cultures by the standards and values of their own culture.
Define Cultural Bias
Tendency to interpret everything through of ones own culture
Ethnocentrism example
- (Ainsworth) norms of Western Culture
- Japanese culture children are more likely to be insecure attachment, babies are rarely separated from their parents.
Define Cultural Relativism
Norm and Values can only be understood with specific social and cultural contexts
Cultural relativism example
(Berry) Etic- outside of of culture Emic- within the culture.
Ainsworth an example of imposed etic and also definitions of Abnormality
