Gender Bias

What is gender bias?

• failure to adequately consid the differences betw wom + men

• historically in psych, been a predominance of rs based on samples of men

When can gender bias occur?

• when researchers treat individ differently based on their gender

• researchers might have different expectations of men + wom which might affect rs outcomes → leading to inaccur representation + stereotypes

• can also occur when rs carried out on 1 gender + findings are gen to both genders

• this is probl bc mal + fem v diff in their beh & findings of rs carried on 1 gend may not be relev/appropriate to gen to other gend

What is universality?

Idea that theories apply to all ppl regardless of gender differences

What are the 2 types of bias in psychology?

• alpha-bias

• beta-bias

What is alpha-bias?

• overemphasises/exagg gender differences + presents these differences as fixed & long lasting often leading to misrepresentation

• AB rs may heighten the value of wom/devalue wom in relation to men

What is an example of alpha-biased research that devalues women?

• Freud’s theory of psychosexual development

• Freud argued females are morally inferior to males as they cannot go through due to Oedipus complex and it is from this the superego develops

What is beta-bias?

Underestimates, minimises/ignores gender differences + assumes findings from rs where only 1 gender was studied will apply equally to other gender as well

What is an example of beta-biased research?

• Zimbardo’s prison study

• Z only had only male ppts yet applied the findings of rs universally to fem asw

• also, rs into f/f resp has focused on male animals but gen the findings to fem overlooking the ‘tend and befriend’ stress response observed in wom

What is andocentrism?

• male-centred persp where male beh consid the norm

• male centred/male biased view of the world

• male beh + mascul traits = norm/acceptable/desirable

• fem beh + feminine traits = abnormal/less acceptable/less desirable

• traditional social psychology rs tended to use largely male samples e.g. Asch, Milgram

What is Freud’s theory an example of?

• AB + androcentric bc it est male beh as the ‘norm’ or standard and describes fem beh as a deviation from this thus devaluing it

• also, autism rs historically focused on male samples leading to under diagnosis of females

AO3: what are negative consequences associated with gender biased research?

• AB rs reinfoces sterotypes by exagg differences betw men + wom → often portraying wom as morally/psychologically inferior

• BB rs ignores/misrepresents wom → leading to innacur concl

• Andocentrism rs had led to wom’s beh often ignored, misunderstood/seen as abn

• lack of rs into autism has resulted in poor diagnosis, limited supp, + incr MH difficulties

• these issues are made worse when psychological expl focus on biolog differences instead of social factors → this sugg gender differences are fixed + unavoidable, reinforcing gender stereotypes + the continued oppression of wom

T: means researchers must be careful when conducting rs to ensure both genders are represented accur to avoid these neg conseq + incr validity in rs

AO3: what are the positive consequences of gender bias being identified in psychological research?

• it has led to critical examination of methodology + sampling which otherwise may not have happened

• highlights need for inclusivity + diversity in rs samples to ensure findings are representative + generalisable

T: there are benefits to recognising GB in rs as it means we can address it + improve practice in rs

AO3: how can GB in psychological research be reduced/avoided?

• use mal + fem ppt in rs and involve mal + fem researchers

• do not overemphasise/exagg gender differences to avoid AB

• do not underestim, minimise/ignore real differences betw mal + fem to avoid BB

T: means GB can be reduced/avoided if researchers follow the advice above when planning out their research