Issues and Debates (Spec-specific) - Gender Bias AO1 Flashcards
What is Gender Bias?
-Psychological research or theory
-Offers a view that does not justifiably represent the experience and behavior of men and women
-May represent one gender only
What is Universality?
Underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all, despite differences of experience or upbringing
What is Bias?
Tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way to others
What is Beta Bias?
The attempt to downplay or underestimate the differences between genders
What is Alpha Bias?
The attempt to exaggerate or overestimate the differences between the genders
What is Androcentrism?
-When men’s behaviour is used as the standard to which women’s behaviour is compared to
-Females are often seen as ‘abnormal’, ‘deficient’ or ‘inferior’ by comparison
What can be used as an example of Beta-Bias?
-Taylor et al. (fight or flight response)
-Sheridan and King (in reference to Milgram’s obedience studies)
What did Taylor et al. study?
Females are likely to ‘Tend or Befriend’ instead of ‘Fight or Flight’
What did Sheridan and King study?
-Variation of Milgram’s obedience study
-100% of women used a fatal shock on a puppy, while only 54% of males did
What are examples of Alpha-Bias?
-Freud (Oedipus complex)
-Evolutionary Approach to Psychology (justify classic gender stereotypes)
How did Freud use Alpha-Bias?
-Boys associate better with their fathers because of the Oedipus complex
-Girls don’t associate as much with their mothers because they lack an Oedipus complex
-Therefore, women develop weaker superegos
How does the Evolutionary Approach use Alpha-Bias?
-Encourages stereotypes such as ,men are more dominant’ or ‘women are more parental to their offspring’
-Society has changed since these gender roles were required and normalised
What are examples of Androcentrism?
-DSM-III_R (pathologising female behaviours)
-Brescoll and Uhlman (pre-mentrual syndrome)
How is the DSM-III-R Androcentric?
-Proposed a ‘Masochistic Personality Disorder’ for women
-Included symptoms of behaviours that men do not tend to show (self-sacrifice, rejecting opportunities for pleasure)
How is PMS Androcentric?
-Uses stereotypes to medicalise female emotions using hormonal terms
-Whereas male anger is seen as a logical response to pressures