A01 Gender Bias

• Universality and bias

  Bias may be an inevitable part of the research process. This undermines psychology's mightful claim to universality that conclusions drawn can be be applied to everyone, anywhere regardless of time and culture.
• Gender bias (Alpha bias)


  Exagerates differences between sexes. Such differences between the sexes are presented as fixed and inevitable and more likely to devalue females in relation to males. These differences occasionally heighten the value of women - but more likely to devalue them in relation to males.
• Example of alphas bias


  Sociobiological theory of relationship formation which experiences human sexual attraction and behaviour through the principle 'sexual efficiency'. It is in the males interest to impregnante as many women as possible to increase the chances of his genes being passed onto the next generation. For the female, the bes chance of preserving her chance is to ensure the healthy survival of the relatively few offspring she is able to produce in her life.
• Beta Bias


  A tendency to ignore or minimise differences between men and women. Such theories tend either to ignore questions about the lives of women, or assume that insights derived from studies of men will apply equally well to women.
• Examples of beta bias


  Fight or flight (both men and women experience this) - Kohlberg's theory of moral development (all male sample, results applied to all)
• Androcentrism


  Consequence of beta bias. A phenomenon in which a culture demonstrates a marked preference for males. E.g: premenstrual cycle criticised on the grounds it stereotypes female experiences. Critics claim PMS is a social consumtion which medicalises emotoins, like anger. But for males, it is a rational response to external pressures.