Sexism

Question 1

Introduction

Answer 1

• Women seem to invisible at undergraduate level, female students outnumber male students, ratio of 4:1
• Could be gender bias, differential treatment of men and women, overemphasising differences (alpha bias) or underemphasisingdifferences (beta bias)
• Androcentrism common in psychology, male norms forced on women
• Aristotle saw women as being inferior, rooted in their biology and physiology

Question 2

Historical and social context

Answer 2

Opening
Historically psychology has been sexist, days of Freud when women were viewed as morally inferior (Link)

Evidence
Bowlbys maternal deprivation linked motherhood as stay at home full time mother, limit explanation about non traditional mothers, non married, single, gay. Women’s sole role in society was to raise children

Strength/ Support
Historically women have been ignored or assumed to be the same as men. Stanford Binet test for intelligence were designed with a male view of intelligence and tested on male pps. When women assessed, performed poorly, women had less accesss to education. Results of this test had.
negative social consequences for women, forcibly sterilised in Virginia (Link)

Weakness/Contradict
Psychology has come a long way since the days of Freud where women were seen as inferior and homosexuality was seen as perversion. Argued that modern psychology is much more aware of these issues and are trying to reduce sexism in research, led to development of feminist psychology which centres on women as pps in studies and researchers. (Link)

Conclusion
Judgement, (link)

Question 3

Gender bias

Answer 3

Opening
Hare Mustin applied ideas of alpha bias and beta bias to gender, outcome of both see women as inferior (link)

Evidence
(Discuss beta bias) theories that have traditionally ignored sex differences. Assumes findings from males apply equally to females. Men only sample research applied to women, androcentric bias, women behaviour largely ignored

Strength/Support
Kohlberg stage theory of moral development were based on extensive interviews with boys aged 10-16. Construction of this theory based upon male centred research, suggesting women also had equal moral development. Androcentric bias as a result

Weakness/Contradict
Gillian argued that women approach moral decisions with a care focus whereas males prioritise justice. Therefore shows how Kohlberg model should have never applied to women. (Link)

Conclusion
Judgement. (Link)

Question 4

Invisibility of women in psychology

Answer 4

Opening
People often mildly surprised when a particular researcher is a woman. Not a surprise as authors of psychological research mostly men. (Link)

Evidence
Gender imbalance strange as although only six women names in 100 most eminent psychologists of 20th century, most psychology undergraduate students are female

Strength
Murphy et Al argues that women are part of the problem as to why stereotypes are made that lead to sexism in psychology, suggested women endorse male superiority, they mainly work as nurses, secretaries or teachers. (Link)

Weakness
Argued that sexism in not as prevalent now due to prominent researchers such as Elizabeth Loftus. Her work on EWT led to reversal of just EWT being used to convict individuals in court by the jury. Her research made a leading impact on a daily life issue as less wrong convictions handed

Conclusion
Argued women are not as invisible in psychology. (Link)

Question 5

Heterosexism

Answer 5

Opening
Belief that natural relationships are between male and females opposed to homosexuality. (Link)

Evidence
Wood and Duck book on understudied relationships reflect shift in psychology and need to study other relationships experiences and differences equally as heterosexual studies

Strength/support
Homosexuality has been an issue in past, considered as a mental disorder and included in the DSM vol 2 in the 1950s. Treatments such as the electric chair was used paired with them forced to view naked pictures of the opposite sex

Weakness/contradict
If there is no balance between alpha and beta biases can lead to either homosexuals or heterosexuals being undervalued. If regarded as widely different, encourages stereotypes, if undervalued may lead to being devalued

Conclusion
Judement (Link)