Gender bias

What is gender bias in psychology ?

The tendency to misrepresent or treat one gender differently than the other in psychological research

What is alpha bias ?

Alpha bias is where the difference between men and women is exaggerated

Give an example of alpha bias

Freud: Women’s morality is seen as underdeveloped, due to a weaker superego

What is beta bias ?

Beta bias is where differences between men and women are minimised/overlooked.

Give an example of beta bias

Fight or flight response: early research only conducted on male animals. Findings were generalised to both men and women.

What is androcentrism ?

A male centered perspective, where male behaviour is considered the norm.

Why is androcentrism problematic ?

It can lead to female behaviour being pathologized or seen as deviant, for example, PMS symptoms seen as irrational.

How can gender bias affect the validity of research findings ?

Misrepresentation of female experience, and therefore invalid conclusions

AO3: how can researchers reduce gender bias ?

(A) use reflectivity, being aware of the impact of their own beliefs/thoughts’ potential influence on data interpretation

(B) include female researchers, and use mixed samples

(C) use an emic approach to investigate behaviour, provides better insight into the person’s actual internal experience

AO3: what are the real world consequences of gender bias ?

(A) can influence policy and diagnosis

(B) reduces scientific credibility of psychological research

(C) lack of equality, due to women being underrepresented