issues and debates Flashcards
gender bias definition
refers to misrepresentation in attitudes and beliefs based on prejudice or pre existing ideas concerning gender
e.g. women believed to be more nurturing then men
alpha bias
refers to theories which exaggerate the differences between men and women
may enhance or undervalue members of either sex, typically undervalue females
beta bias
refers to theories which ignore or minimise sex differences
theories assume findings from males can apply equally to females
example of alpha bias
evolutionary explanations
evolution explains human need to survive therefore reproduce
provides explanation how females and males are innately different to help their adaptation to roles to aid survival of their offspring
males tend to be more dominant
females have more empathy and parental investment to aid survival of their offspring
example of beta bias
asch
research into conformity involved all male sample
demonstrated beta bias
assumed females would respond in the same way as same’s therefore show same rates of conformity
more recent replications Mori and Arai showed gender differences in conformity rates
research ignores gender differences through assumption that females would behave the same therefore supporting the argument that research provides full support for understanding of conformity
limitation of gender bias
promotes sexism in research process
females remain underrepresented in uni departments
psychology’s undergraduate intake is mainly females, however lectures are mainly males
means research more likely to be conducted by men
men may assume women to be unable to complete complex tasks. therefore making women underperform
strength of gender bias
feminist psychologists have proposed how gender bias can be avoided
worrell and renner put forward set criteria that researchers should follow in order to avoid gender bias in research
suggest women should participate within the research instead of being objects of a study
diversity between men and women rather then comparisons
strength as this way is less gender biased than lab based research
strength of gender bias
leads to reflexibility
modern reseracher are begginning to recognise the effect their own values gace on the nature of their work (reflexibility)
embrace bias as critical and crucial aspect of research
e.g lack of women in accountancy firms
dambrin and gabbert include reflexibility on how gender related experiences influence their understanding of events
strength as may lead to greater awareness in future research
culture bias definition
refers to a tendency to ignore cultural differences and interpret all phenomena through the lens of ones own culture
etic construct
looks at behaviours from outside a given culture and attempts to describe behaviours that are universal
emic construct
study tip-M means within
looks within/inside a cultures and identifies behaviours that are specific to that culture
operating under this approach allows psychologists to truly emerge themselves into a specific culture developing understanding of their research procedures
ethnocentrism
judging other cultures by the standards and values of ones own culture
example of ethnocentrism
Ainsworth SS as only reflects the norms and values of American culture
SS developed to assess attachment types
many researchers assumed SS has same meaning for the infants from other cultures as it does for American children
Ainsworth suggested that secure attachment was demonstrated in children who showed moderate levels of distress when left alone by the mother figure
SS had been describe as an imposed etic, looks into one culture and then imposed in another
challenges validity of findings and universality of the research into explaining attachment
cultural relativism definition
idea that norms, values, moral standards and ethics can only be meaningful and understood within specific social and cultural contexts
cultural relativism example
sterberg
according to view, meaning of intelligence differes within cultures
suggest coordination skills used in preliterate socity may be seen as irrelevant to now intelligent people in more devloped society
only way to understand intelligence, is taking the cultural contexts into account
nature definition
view that behaviour is a product of innate (biological and genetic) factors
nurture definition
view that behaviour is a product of environmental influences
example of nature
Bowlby
proposed that children come into the world biologically programmed to form attachments in order to survive
suggests attachment behaviours are naturally selected and passed on as result of genetic inheritance
supported by animal research, Lorenz and Harlow
example of nurture
behavioruists explain attachment in terms of classical conditioning
food (UCS) is associated with the mother (NS) and through many repeated pairings, mother becomes CS who prompts CR in child
child forms attachment with mother based on pleasured experience of being given food
measuring nature nurture
concorandce-provides ab estimate about the extent to whcih a trait is inheirted-herability
