Issues and debates Flashcards
What is alpha bias?
Alpha bias within psychological research is that which exaggerates or overestimates differences between the sexes. These differences are more likely to devalue females in relation to their male counterparts.
Give and example of alpha bias in psychological research.
FREUD - Psychosexual development
During the phallic stage of development, boys and girls will experience a significant conflict, boys and girls go through differing complex’s which share a characteristic of strong romantic desires for their opposite gendered parent.
Oedipus complex - results in boys developing a fear of castration which forces them to identify with their father. The boys superego develops when this conflict is resolved.
Electra complex - weaker superego is formed as girls don’t identify with same gendered parent as strongly as boys do, implying girls are morally inferior to boys. Girls conflicts are never resolved.
What is Beta bias?
Beta bias minimises or underestimates the differences in men and women. This often occurs when females are not included as part of the research process and then it is assumed that the research applies equally to males and females.
Give and example of beta bias in psychological research.
FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE - It was once suggested that the fight or flight response was a universal response to a stressful or threatening situations. However this suggestion was drawn from research that was conducted on only male animals (due to fluctuations in female animals hormones, males were preferred).
SHELLEY TAYLOR ET AL (2000) - suggested female biology has evolved to inhibit the fight or flight response, shifting towards caring for offspring and forming defensive networks with other females (rending and befriending as opposed to fight or flight)
What is androcentrism?
Alpha and Beta are consequences of androcentrism
