Issues and Debates

Question 1

What are the evaluation points for Gender bias?

Answer 1

-) gender differences are fixed and enduring

C.P -> research support for popular stereotype - multitasking

-) promotes sexism in research process

-) research challenging bias may not be published

Question 2

How is gender differences being given as fixed and enduring a limitation?

Answer 2

P - gender differences are given as fixed and enduring

Ev - Maccoby and Jacklin (1974). concluded girls have better verbal ability and boys have better spatial ability - due to biological brain differences

Ex - suggests we should be wary of accepting research as biological facts when it might be better explained as a social steretoype

Question 3

How is research support on multi-tasking a counterpoint of gender differences being seen as fixed and enduring?

Answer 3

P - research may supports popular stereotype that females are better at multi-tasking

Ev - Ingalhalikar said women’s hemispheres are better connected than males so there may be some biological truth

Ex - may be biological differences - still should be wary of exaggerating the effect they may have on behaviour

Question 4

How is pomoting sexism a limitation of gender bias?

Answer 4

P - promotes sexism in research process

Ev - Murphy et al (2014) women underrepresented in university departments so research more likely to be conducted by males disadvantaging females

Ex - male researcher may expect female participant to be irrational, unable to complete tasks -> underperform

L - institutional structures / methods of psychology produce gender-biased findings

Question 5

How is research challenging bias not being published a limitation of gender bias?

Answer 5

P - research challenging gender bias doesnt get published

Ev - Formaowicz et al (2008) analysed 1000 articles relating to gender bias, this research is funded less, published by less prestigous journals

Ex - still held true when gender compared to other biases

L - suggests gender bias in psychological research not taken as seriously as other forms of bias

Question 6

What is universality?

Answer 6

• facts about human behaviour
• that are objective, value-free and consistent
• across time and culture

Question 7

What is alpha bias?

Answer 7

Exaggerates differences between sexes

Question 8

What does alpha bias do to women?

Answer 8

• Sometimes heightens value of women
• more likely to devalue females rather than males

Question 9

What is gender bias?

Answer 9

• Psychological theory/ research
• may not accurately represent the experience and behaviour of men and women.

Question 10

What is an example of alpha bias favouring males?

Answer 10

Freud (1905)

• claimed children in phallic stage desire opposite sex parent
• resolved by identification with same-sex parent
• girl’s identification is weaker -> weaker superego
• so weaker moral development

Question 11

What is an example of alpha bias favouring females?

Answer 11

• Chodorow (1968)
• said daughters and mothers more connected than mother and son
• because of biological similarities
• so women develop better bonds and empathy for others

Question 12

What is beta bias?

Answer 12

Theories that ignore or minimise differences between the sexes

Question 13

What is an example of beta bias?

Answer 13

fight / flight research based on men

• assumed to be universal response to threat
• Taylor et al 2000 said females have a tend and befriend response
• controlled by oxytocin - more in females than males
• reduces fight/flight response
• evolved response for caring for young

Question 14

What is androcentrism?

Answer 14

Male centred; when normal behaviour is judged according to a male standard

Question 15

??????

Answer 15

psychology is male dominated

6/100 famous psychologists = female

Question 16

What is an example of adrocentrism?

Answer 16

PMS medicalises female emotions by explaining them in hormonal terms - feminists object

• but male anger is a rational response to external pressures

Question 17

What are the evaluation points for Gender bias?

Answer 17

-) gender differences are fixed and enduring

C.P -> research support for popular stereotype - multitasking

-) promotes sexism in research process

-) research challenging bias may not be published

Question 18

What are evaluations points for cultural bias?

Answer 18

-) many infleucntial studies are culturally biased
C.P - research support not case anymore
+) emergence of cultural psychology
-) ethnic stereotyping

Question 19

How is many influential studies being culturally biased a limitation of cultural bias

Answer 19

P - many influential studies are culturally-biased
Ev - Asch + Milgram used US white participants and replications of studies in other countries produced diffferent results. Asch - collectivist cultures found higher conformity.
Ex - our understanding of topics like social influence should only be applied to individualistic cultures
L - influential studies not useful IAPAIAPATT

Question 20

How is research support a counterpoint for u=influential studies being culturally biased

Answer 20

P - Research support
Ev - Takano and Oksana (1999) found 14/15 studies compared China + US found no evidence of individualism/ collectivism
Ex - means distinction is simplistic
L - cultural bias is not that big of an issue in recent research

Question 21

How is the emergence of cultural psychology a strength of cultural bias?

Answer 21

P - emergence of cultural psychology
Ev - Study of how people shape and are shaped by their cultural experience.
Ex - research conducted inside a culture, with local researchers using culturally based techniques, fewer cultures used when comparing differences
L - modern psychologists are mindful of dangers of cultural bias, taking steps to avoid it

Question 22

How is ethnic stereotyping a limitation of cultural bias?

Answer 22

P - ethnic stereotyping
Ev - Gould (1981) explained how 1st IQ test led to eugenic social policies in America. WW1 psychologists given IQ test, ethnocentric test items US presidents e.g. South Eastern Europe and African Americans scored lowest, deemed genetically inferior
Ex - illustrates how cultural bias can be used to justify prejudice, discrimination towards ethnic and cultural groups

Question 23

What name describes the group that are most likely to be studied?

Answer 23

Westernised
Educated people from
Industrialised
Rich
Democracies

Question 24

What is ethnocentrism?

Answer 24

The belief that our own group or culture is superior to all other groups or cultures

Question 25

What is an example of ethnocentrism?

Answer 25

Ainsworth’s suggested secure attachment was a baby showing moderate distress when separated by mother
- in Japan, babies are rarely left alone so would be insecurely attached for showing distress on separation

Question 26

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 26

judging a culture using its own standards instead of your own