Issues and Debates Flashcards
What is gender bias?
The different treatment or representation of men and women based on stereotypes rather than real differences
What is alpha bias?
The exaggeration of differences between men and women
What is an example of alpha bias in psychology?
The psychodynamic approach: According to Freud, since females can’t experience castration anxiety, they’re under less pressure and have less of a need to identify with the moral standards of their same sex parents compared to boys. This suggests that females (in line with the psychodynamic approach) are less moral than males
What is androcentrism?
- The consequence of beta bias
- Occurs when all behaviour is compared according to a male standard, often to neglect or exclude women
What is an example of androcentrism?
PMS: been criticised by some for being a social construction, which trivialises female emotion, especially anger. On the other hand, male anger is seen as a logical response to external pressure
What is beta bias?
The tendency to minimise differences between men and women
What is an example of beta bias?
Early research conducted into the fight/flight response once used male lab rats because they had fewer hormonal fluctuations. However these results were generalised to females, ignoring differences between the two sexes (eg speed and extent of the fight/flight response)
What is universality?
The aim to develop theories that apply to all people, which may include real differences
