Gender Bias

Gender Bias

The differential treatment and/or representation of males and females, based on stereotypes and not real differences.

Alpha Bias

Psychological research thats exaggerates differences, such differences may be presented as fixed or inevitable

Beta Bias

Psychological research that ignores or under-estimates differences, for example assuming the results would apply equally to men and women, when women have been excluded from the research process.

Androcentrism

• One possible consequence of gender bias

• Theories which are focuses/centred around men

• Any behaviour that deviates from this is considered abnormal, inferior or deficient

• Women may be disadvantaged if judged by male standards

Implications of Gender Bias

It can have implications within society such as creating and reinforcing prejudice and stereotypes

E.g. Research in the 1970s suggested thats girls have superior verbal ability and boys have better spatial ability, suggesting that these differences are innate.Such findings became widely reported and accepted as a ‘fact’