Gender Bias

• Define Gender Bias


  A tendency to treat one individual or group in a different way from others
• What is Alpha Bias?


  Psychological theories that suggest that there are real differences between men and women
• What is Beta Bias?


  Theories that ignore or minimalist differences between men and women
• What is Androcentrism?

  When behaviour is judged according to male standard. This means that female behaviour is often judged to be abnormal or deficient
• Why is PMS an example of Androcentrism? 


  It stereotypes and trivialised female experience and medicalises female emotions by explaining them in hormonal terms. Male anger on the other hand is seen as a rational response to external pressures
• Define Universality

  Any underlying characteristic of human beings that is capable of being applied to all, despite differences in experience and upbringing
• Why is Wilson’s Sociobiological theory an example of Alpha Bias?


  It suggests that male sexual attraction focuses on a male’s interest to impregnate as many females as possible. Whereas a females interest is around ensuring the healthy survival of a few offspring. Females who engage in the same sexual behaviour as males are considered as going against their nature
• Why is the Fight or Flight response an example of Beta Bias?

  It is based research that had exclusively male animals as participants and is assumed to be a universal response whereas Taylor et al has found that females defer to a tend or befriend response
• What is reflexivity?


  Being reflective about one own’s values and examining the extent to which these biased influence research
• What is Essentialism?

  The gender differences are inevitable (essential) and fixed in nature