1. gender bias

what is gender bias

favouritism towards or prejudice against a particular gender

what is universality

• that conclusions drawn can be applied to everyone, anywhere, regardless of time or culture

• gender and culture bias threaten the universality of findings in psychology

types of gender bias

• alpha bias

• beta bias

• androcentrism

what is alpha bias

• research that focuses on differences between men and women, and therefore tends to present a view that exaggerates these differences

• such differences are typically presented as fixed and inevitable

• sometimes these differences heighten the value of women, but more often they devalue women in relation to men

alpha bias example

freud’s theory of psychosexual development

• during phallic stage both genders develop a desire for their opposite gender parent

• in a boy this creates a very strong castration anxiety which is then resolved when the boy identifies with his father

• but a girl’s eventual identification with the mother is weaker, meaning her superego is weaker

therefore girls are morally inferior to boys

alpha bias favouring women example

• chodorow suggested daughters and mothers have a greater connectedness than sons and mothers because of biological similarities

• as a result, women develop better abilities to bond with others and empathise

what is beta bias

• research that focuses on similarities between men and women, and therefore tends to present a view that ignores or minimises differences

• happens when we assume research findings apply equally to both genders and when women have been excluded from the research process

beta bias example

research on the fight or flight response

• biological research has generally favoured using male animals as female behaviour is affected by regular hormonal changes due to ovulation

• this simply ignores any possible differences

• therefore research assumes both males and females respond the same

beta bias against men example

attachment research

• assumptions such as emotional care is provided solely by mothers

• but research on the role of the father shows fathers can supply the emotional care often assumed to be the province of women

what is androcentrism

adrocentrism = male centred

• when ‘normal’ behaviour is judged according to a male standard, meaning female behaviour is often judged to be ‘abnormal’ by comparison

• alpha and beta bias are consequences of andocentrism

roots of androcentrism in psychology

over the years, psychology has presented a male dominated version of the world

• eg the American Psychological Association published a list of the 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th century only including 6 women

• suggests psychology has traditionally been a subject produced by men, for men and about men - an androcentric perspective

misunderstanding of females

women’s behaviour has been misunderstood, and at worst, pathologised - taken as a sign of illness

• eg feminists have objected to the diagnostic category premenstrual syndrome on the grounds that is medicalises womens emotions, such as anger, by explaining these in hormonal terms

• in contast, mens anger is often seen as a rational response to external pressures

evaluation

1. sexism in research

2. gender biased research

3. negative real world consequences

4. positive real world consequences

sexism in research

• gender bias in psychology promotes sexism

• murphey found women are underrepresented in senior psychology positions despite being the majority in undergraduate courses

• imbalance may disadvantage female participants - eg has been found male researchers may expect lower performance from women, influencing outcomes

• gender bias within institutions lowers validity and perpetuates inequality

gender biased research

• research on gender bias is often undervalued

• been found that studies on gender bias were less funded, less cited, and published in less prestigious journals - suggests gender bias is treated as less serious than other biases eg ethnic

• weakens progress in tackling gender inequality in psychology

real world consequences

• gender bias can distort psychology and harm women

• argued when male behaviour is the norm, women are seen as abnormal - shows gender bias isn’t just methodological as it has damaging real world consequences, reinforcing stereotypes and shaping opportunities

• modern researchers stress reflexivity, openly considering their own values to reduce bias

positive real world applications

• recognising gender differences can help to challenge traditional gender stereotypes and promote equality

• cornwell found women tend to be more attentive, flexible and organised when it comes to learning - challenges the male model of behaviour is superior which is an example of revere alpha bias

• thus, recognising differences can make research more balanced and socially beneficial helping reduce long sanding biases