Issues & Debates - Gender Bias Flashcards
What are the key features of gender bias?
- Psychologists seek universality but bias may be inevitable.
- Alpha bias exaggerates differences and reinforces stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination.
- An example of alpha bias is the sociobiological theory of relationship formation.
- Beta bias minimises differences and findings are generalised to all genders, leading to a lack of validity.
- An example of beta bias is the fight or flight response.
- One consequence of beta bias is androcentrism.
Why is bias inevitable?
Psychologists possess beliefs and values influenced by the social and historical context within which they live. This may undermine psychologists’ claims to discover facts about human behaviour that are objective, value-free and consistent across time and culture (universality).
One form of bias is gender bias: psychological theory and research may not accurately represent the experience and behaviour of men and women.
How does alpha bias exaggerate differences?
Differences between the sexes are usually presented as real, enduring, fixed and inevitable.
These differences occasionally heighten the value of women but are more likely to devalue females in relation to males. It is usually supported by biological arguments and can generate stereotyping and discrimination.
What is an example of alpha bias?
Sociobiological theory of relationship formation.
Wilson (1975) explained human sexual attraction through ‘survival efficiency’- it is in a male’s interests to try and impregnate as many females as possible to increase the chances of his genes being passed on to the next generation.
Sexual promiscuity in males is naturally selected and genetically determines but females who engage in the same behaviour are seen as going against their ‘nature’ - an exaggeration of the difference between the sexes (alpha bias).
How does beta bias minimise differences?
Ignoring or underestimating differences between men and women often occurs when female participants are not included in the research process and it is assumed that research findings apply equally to both sexes. Therefore research findings can lack validity.
What is an example of beta bias?
Fight or flight response.
Early research into fight or flight was based exclusively on male animals (preferred for research because female hormones fluctuate). The fight or flight response was assumed to be a universal response to a threatening situation.
Taylor et al. (2000) suggest female biology has evolved to inhibit the fight or flight response, shifting attention towards caring for offspring (tending) and forming defensive networks with other females (befriending). Females exhibit a tend and befriend response governed by the hormone oxytocin.
How does beta bias lead to androcentrism?
If our understanding of ‘normal’ behaviour comes from research involving all-male samples, then any behaviour that deviates from this standard is judged as ‘abnormal’ or ‘inferior’.
This leads to female behaviour being misunderstood and even pathologised (taken as a sign of illness).
For example, many feminists object to the category of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) because it medicalises female emotions (e.g. anger) by explaining these in hormonal terms. But male anger is often seen as a rational response to external pressures (Brescoli and Uhlman 2008).
What are the strengths of research into gender bias?
- an understanding of gender bias leads to reflexivity
- feminist psychologists propose how gender bias can be avoided
What are the weaknesses of research into gender bias?
- problems of gender bias in psychological research
- gender bias promotes sexism in the research process
- essentialist arguments are common in gender-biased research
How does understanding of gender bias lead to reflexivity?
Researchers recognise the effect of their values on their work (reflexivity). They embrace bias as an important aspect of the research process rather than see it as a problem threatening the objective status of their work.
In their study of the lack of women in executive positions in accountancy firms, Dambrin and Lambert (2008) include reflection on how their gender-related experiences influence their understanding of events.
Such reflexivity is an important development in psychology and may lead to greater awareness of the role of personal bias in shaping future research.
How do feminist psychologists propose gender bias can be avoided?
Worrell (1992) suggests criteria researchers can follow to avoid gender bias. Women should be studied within meaningful real-life contexts, and genuinely participate in research instead of being objects of study.
Also, diversity in groups of women should be studied, rather than comparisons made between women and men. Finally, there should be a greater emphasis on collaborative research methods that collect qualitative data.
This way of doing research may be preferable, and less gender-biased, than laboratory-based research.
What problems are there with gender bias in psychological research?
Gender-biased research may create misleading assumptions about female behavior and validate discriminatory practices.
It may provide a scientific justification to deny women opportunities within the workplace or in wider society (e.g. because of PMS).
Gender bias in research is not just a methodological problem but may have damaging consequences which affect the lives and prospects of real women.
How does gender bias promote sexism in the research process?
A lack of women at senior research level means female concerns may not be reflected in research questions asked. Male researchers are more likely to have work published.
Also, female participants in lab studies are in an inequitable relationship with a (usually male) researcher who has the power to label them irrational and unable to complete complex tasks.
This means psychology may be guilty of supporting a form of institutional sexism that creates bias in theory and research.
How are essentialist arguments common in gender-biased research?
Many gender differences reported by psychologists are based on an essentialist perspective - that gender difference is inevitable (essential) and fixed in nature.
Walkerdine (1990) reports how ‘scientific’ research in the 1930s showed that intellectual activity (e.g. attending university) shrivelled a woman’s ovaries and harmed her chances of giving birth.
Essentialist accounts are often politically motivated arguments disguised as biological ‘facts’. This can create a ‘double-standard’ in how the same behaviour is viewed from a male and female perspective.
What are some examples of gender bias?
- Social influence (male samples)
- Approaches/theories of gender development (Freud)
- Abnormality (DSM pathology of PMS, minimising of male trends in psychopathology, e.g. suicide)
- Attachment (role of father ignored and under researched)
Remember that you can’t remove studies from the time they were carried out.
