Issues and Debates lesson 1

gender bias

What is gender bias?

in the context of psychology, when psychological research or theories offer a view point that doesn’t justifiably represent the experience and behaviour of men or women

What is universality?

any underlying characteristic of people that is capable of being applied to all despite differences in upbringing or experience

• gender bias challenges universality as if one study is one only on men how can it be applied to women?

What three ways can gender bias occur?

• studies having all male samples used as the basis for all research

• biological differences emphasis

• androcentrism

What does it mean if all male samples are used within research?

• studies may be conducted on men only and this fact not declared by the researcher

• findings may be generalised to women despite there being no women actually involved in the research

• SO findings have limited application when studies are conducted on one gender only

What is meant by biological differences emphasis?

• explanations for behaviour may emphasise the biology of the individual may also undermine the role of social and external factors

• SO any theory rooted in biology is liable to infer that there will be a difference in the behaviour in the two sexes

What is androcentrism?

male behaviour is taken as the norm/standard and so women’s behaviour is seen as a deviation from the norm

What is alpha bias?

psychological theories suggesting there are real and enduring differences between men and women which either enhances or undervalues members of either sex

What is Beta Bias?

when research/ theories ignore of minimise differences between the sexes

What’s one way that androcentrism can be applied to other studies?

• social influence —> Milgrams research into obedience

• only used a male sample

• BUT findings have been applied to explain all types of obedience

What’s one way that beta bias can be applied to other studies?

• biopsychology —> fight or flight study by Selye

• fifth or flight is documented as being universal BUT Taylor found women have a different reaction than men and are more likely to tend and befriend

What is a double for lack of women in research?

• Gender Bias is an issue as there’s a lack of women in senior roles

• so female concerns aren’t reflected in research

• Male researchers are more likely to have work published which leads to androcentrism in psychology

• lab experiments disadvantage women as they’re placed in an inequitable relationship with researchers where they may be labelled as irrational

• so psychology is guilty of institutionalised sexism that’s creates bias in theory and research

What’s a double for gender bias as a historic issue?

• gender bias is an issue in psychology as gender differences are based on the idea that difference is inevitable

• BUT a 1930s study published ideas that a womans overies would shrivel if she attended university showing us how politically motivated statements are often disguised as biological facts in older psychological studies

• creates a double standard

• However a lot has changed since then and research reflects the time it is made

• Gender bias is less of an issue now than it used to be

What’s a single for gender bias being able to be prevented?

• gender bias can be minimised

• Feminist commentators (Judith Worrell) have put forward criteria that should be adhered to to avoid bias:

  • women should be observed in real life contexts

  • women should participate in research not just be objects of a study

  • diversity within groups of women should be studied

  • should be emphasis on collaborative research which produces qualitative data