Gender bias

What does Universality mean in psychology?

The attempt to find characteristics or make conclusions that can be applied to all humans, regardless of individual differences

What does Androcentrism mean?

Male centered research.

Male behaviour is seen as the norm

How does Androcentrism lead to a misunderstanding of female behaviour?

It leads to females being wrongly seen as abnormal, it pathologises women.

For example, Freud originally all his research is centred around males, doesnt even consider females until later.

What are the two types of gender bias?

• Alpha bias

• Beta bias

What is Alpha bias?

When the differences between men and women are exaggerated.

Examples: Evolutionary approach to mating

Implication: Fuel stereotypes, non-conformity to stereotypes can lead to being perceived as abnormal

What is Beta Bias?

When differences between genders are ignored or minimised.

Examples: Milgram and Zimbardo, Asch, fight or flight research, localisation women have larger language centres.

Implications: ignores female behaviour and creates misunderstanding, and has practical issues like if medication based on male research in distributed to females, negative outcomes like ineffectiveness or severe side effects can happen.

AO3: Wider implications

Wider implications, assumptions, discrimination, opportunities in life, gender bias is not just a methodological issue but can also have real world implications.

Method → issues in the real world.

For instance, females can be denied job opportunities if they are say described as being less capable at a certain skill.

AO3: Sexism in research processes

Why can research conducted by men be a problem.

Researchers and professors in psych are more likely to males

• less consideration for females in the research process, leads to the female being disadvantaged

AO3: Role of feminist psychology

Female focused research, employer female by focusing on specific issues