Key Terms of Gender Bias

Question 1

Gender Bias

Answer 1

Tendency to treat one gender in a different way to the other.

Question 2

Alpha Bias

Answer 2

when differences between the genders are exaggerated or overestimated, so one gender usually devalued. E.g. Bowlby’s maternal deprivation theory which argues mothers are the only suitable person to care for the child and not the father.

Question 3

Beta Bias

Answer 3

ignores, minimises, or underestimates differences between women and men, often occurs when one gender isn’t involved in research. E.g. Milgram’s obedience study only used male pps but generalised his findings to women as well, but may respond differently.

Question 4

Androcentrism

Answer 4

when out understanding of normal behaviour is being drawn from research that involved all male samples, and any behaviour that deviated is abnormal.