Issues and Debates- Gender and Culture Bias Flashcards
What’s universality?
The idea that conclusions drawn from research can be applied to everybody, regardless of time period, gender, culture.
What’s Gender Bias?
When psychological research or theory offers a view that doesn’t represent the experience and behaviour of either men or women.
What do Feminist Psychologists Argue?
Psychology’s been built on biased research of male psychologists and has been shaped to uphold male superiority.
Type of Gender Bias: Androcentrisism
Research based only on males, used as standard/ expected norm for both sexes. e.g. Asch, sample of males, generalised to both sexes.
If our understanding of what’s ‘normal’ behaviour comes only from male samples, then any behaviour that deviates from this is seen as abnormal.
Leads to female behaviour becoming misunderstood.
Type of Gender Bias: Beta Bias
Research/ theories misrepresent behaviour, ignore/ minimise differences between males and females.
Important aspects of female experience are ignored, limits any conclusions drawn.
Occurs when female ppts aren’t included in a sample, assumed findings can apply equally to both sexes.
e.g. fight or flight response described as universal, much of early research conducted on male animals.
Type of Gender Bias: Alpha Bias
Research/ theories misrepresent behaviours, exaggerates differences between males and females, serves to reinforce gender stereotypes, usually devalue women, women are often not seen as the ‘norm.’
e.g. research on relationships has shown males seek partner that’s young and attractive, whereas females seek a man with resources e.g. wealthy, reinforcing gender stereotypes.
AO3: Gender Bias: Alpha Bias
P: Research into alpha bias e.g. evolutionary psychology promotes inappropriate stereotypes
E: Findings suggest females are dependent on males, leading to feelings of inferiority, promote discrimination.
E: Evolutionary psychology emphasises gender differences are innate, due to genetics, gives biological justification for gender bias in society.
L: Gender bias within research can provide scientific reasoning to deny women opportunities within employment and can validate discrimination which can impact economy and female’s life prospects.
AO3: Gender Bias: Lab Experiments
P: Gender bias further emphasised by male psychologists and use of lab experiments favour male ppts.
E: Lab experiments produce inequitable relationships with male researchers able to use power to label females as irrational/ unreasonable, with use of quantitative data.
E: Research methods that are used should be adapted to enable females more equality in research e.g. more qualitative data collection methods e.g. interviews.
L: If we continue this method, may have negative consequences for women when generalised beyond setting of study.
AO3: Gender Bias: Males and Females Studied Differently
P: Males and females should be studied differently emphasises there are gender differences, universality isn’t possible and bias can’t be avoided.
E: Impossible to look at research through completely objective eyes, as everyone has a gender.
E: Researchers should take gender bias into consideration when conducting research e.g. may be Milgram only studied males as he wanted to understand behaviour of Nazi soldiers.
L: Effects of gender bias should be minimised when conducting psychological research and generalising theories of behaviour to both genders.
What’s Culture Bias?
When psychological studies or theories ignore cultural differences assuming findings can be generalised globally.
Much research has been conducted in Western universities (educated people with wealthy background), meaning results are only applicable to that culture.
Some bias researchers have assumed their culture is the norm.
What’s Ethnocentrism?
Assumption that one ethnic group/ culture’s superior to another or to all ethnic groups, emphasising importance of one’s own culture.
Leads to a belief that behaviours of ethnic group/ culture’s the norm and others are often seen as abnormal/ strange which can lead to prejudice/ discrimination.
e.g. several researchers have conducted studies on IQ, identified those from African-Carribean backgrounds score average of 15 points lower on IQ tests than Caucasians.
AO3: Ethnocentricism
P: Research into IQ tests provides a clear example of ethnocentric bias.
E: Because IQ tests have been developed and tested in western world, based on western views of intelligence, not suitable for other cultures.
E: IQ tests are misused to reinforce superiority of Western culture, led to discrimination and prejudice in immigration policy.
L: Research shown when using culturally relative IQ tests cultural differences in scores don’t exist, showing clear culture bias with the tool and damaging consequences of culture bias.
What’s Cultural Relativism?
Appreciation that behaviour’s vary between cultures and that there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ behaviour.
It’s important to consider individuals behaviour within their culture before making a judgement.
Because social norms are culturally relative as what’s considered acceptable in one culture may be unacceptable elsewhere.
e.g. when defining abnormality it should be appreciated that what’s seen as abnormal in one culture may be normal in another.
AO3: Cultural Relativism
P: Much research in psychology can be criticised for lacking cultural relativism e.g. when defining abnormality.
E: Deviation from social norms is criticised for lacking cultural relativism, different cultures have different social norms/ expectations of behaviour.
E: e.g. messages sent from spirits could be a symptom of Sz in western cultures, in non-western cultures this could be classified as a spiritual gift.
L: Due to culture bias, it may not be appropriate to use western norms to diagnose mental health conditions in non-western cultures.
